1 o'clock
by Transcendent
Summary: It was 1:00AM. Time was up and she didn't have the gun. Oh God! Was she going to die? What will he do to her? Oh! Lord please have mercy! AU mature themes.
1. Almost Time

_**1 o'clock** by: Transcendent_

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**Dedication:** SilverCaladan.

**ALL STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY. READ CAUTIOUSLY IF YOU ARE UNDER 13 YEARS OF AGE.**

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**Chapter One: Almost Time**

The girl glanced at the clock—dear God, it was almost time.

She didn't have the gun; she just couldn't grab it and let him off. It wasn't moral or at least, not anymore it wasn't. He hadn't accidentally killed her, he never did, and because of that, she didn't have it in her to merely save him. In all actuality, she shouldn't have done it the other times, either, but blood runs thicker than anything else.

Even if, she realized, it meant the blood on his hands eventually wound up on hers, too, she couldn't let him run away from his misdeed. The face of the dead girl on the cold, steel tray made that fact painfully obvious—her lips bloody, her flesh excised, the ghastly patches of darkened blood on her, most likely, perfectly muscled thigh… and her skin that was brighter than the sun. She had seen the distinct mark of the butt of the gun stamped into her skin when her father had knocked her out.

Nothing could've saved her from her father's malicious intent. Not her rich, honey colored, light brown hair, or her dainty body that screamed of womanhood. If those things didn't save her, the light rose fingernails and light makeup hadn't done much, either. She was like a princess, the princess of the world.

Why was this girl killed? Why was she brutally murdered by her father?

The burning sensation of oncoming tears hit her deep sapphire eyes. The salty crystals gathered on the edge of her eyelid and finally brimmed over and crawled down her cheek. She closed her eyes for a second, calming her emotions and the sympathy she felt for this girl and her parents.

That girl would never open her eyes again, she would never breathe again, she would never think again, and she'd never find happiness anymore, she would never find love. It was the end for the princess, an end that was most likely preventable.

What had her father done?

She'd never touch anything; she would never feel someone else's hand in hers. She would never feel the gentle touch of a kiss. She couldn't cry anymore. She couldn't look to the sky anymore. The only thing that would be left of her after her autopsy, and after being buried or disintegrated by fire, would be memories.

She was scared; she had never thought of death like this before. She had never afraid of it like she was now, but soon, she would be that girl with the bullet through her skull. She was going to die in her own cold blood in this very room.

The girl glanced at the clock again, her muscles tense and her eyes unblinking. This time her gaze stuck. It was 12:59, one more minute until the end.

"Oh God!" she said breathlessly, her voice shaking in her nervousness. "Is this going to be how it ends? He can't kill his own daughter…like he killed that girl."

As she shivered, the alarm clock came to life and the loud beeping indicated her worse nightmare. However, as the sound droned on the back of her mind, she didn't want to turn it off, she didn't have the will. Was that the last sound she was going to hear?

She shook her head and pressed the snooze button with a soft touch of her forefinger. No, it shouldn't end like that. It shouldn't end like this at all, she thought.

She sighed and her gaze averted to the telephone. Her hand hovering over it, as if expecting something and soon, it rang and she picked it up. She inhaled quietly and exhaled loudly. Enjoy the air while you can, she told herself earnestly.

"Did you get it?"

She looked out the window; the blinds were angled so she could see out. "No."

"WHAT? Why not? I told you to get the gun!" The voice on the other side was loud, booming, and she could already feel her eyes stinging again.

She stuttered, "I-I-I couldn't."

"What do you mean you couldn't?" he demanded, his voice low and threatening. "What do you mean by that? How could you not get it? It was right there in front of you!"

"You killed her; she was dead. Why did you do it, dad? How could you kill her like that?" she screamed back into the receiver. Her tears flowed openly down her flushed cheeks.

His reply was short, his voice unraveled. "You know what this means."

She nodded unconsciously, forgetting he couldn't see her. "I'm sorry, daddy, but I couldn't let you get away with killing her." She sniffed once, clearing her nose. "Don't you feel guilty?" This time, he didn't even bother to respond, so she went on. "How could you kill her? I want to know! How can you live with yourself after killing an innocent girl! She barely looked sixteen!"

Still no answer. "Oh God! Why, why, why me?"

She choked on a sob as she set the phone back in its place. Bringing her knees to her chest protectively, she buried her head in her lap. Her tears slowed and her sobs softened. After she felt her body relax, she stood and involuntarily wiped her face, just as she always did when she was younger.

Slowly, knowing what was coming; she went to the window and pulled up the blinds. Why today of all days…did it have to be beautiful?

Her eyes darted around and finally, she found what she was looking for. Her heart beat heavily in her chest, her eyes widened, and her breath hitched in her throat as it opened in protest. The only thing in her mind was the picture of that girl when the sound of a rifle filled the neighborhood.

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_**Author's Note:** Hey. I redid this a while back. The chapter I had up before wasn't well written, and since it seems a lot of people read first chapters to see if the story will be well written/good, then I guess I should at least have a decent first chapter... The rest beyond this point, however, are a little weaker. Same type of writing, just not done as well, up until... chapter eight. I'll take time to rewrite each chapter... when I get the time to take it. Hope you enjoyed and don't forget to review ;D_

With love,  
**Transcendent**


	2. No Appreciation

**_1 o'clock_** by: transcendent.

**_A.N.:_** I updated this. This is my favorite fic of the ones I already have out. Why? I have no clue. For all of you who decide this has errors, I KNOW I KNOW ALREADY, okay? Liz-chan edits everything AFTER I post them. Why is this? I just like posting things after I write them, so it doesn't give me a change to think it's crap and get rid of it. Right, so read on.

**Dedication:** SilverCaladan - _for inspiring me and pushing me to write better. Thank you for editing for me and putting up with me._

**ALL STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY. READ CAUTIOUSLY IF YOU ARE UNDER 13 YEARS OF AGE.**

**Chapter Two: No Appreciation** Heero listened carefully to the conversation. He had been tracking down this killer for so long. The idea of putting this man to death made him smile from ear to ear. As sinister as his smile was, it was still a smile which was a rare thing on his face.

The only problem in achieving his ultimate goal was the fact that Heero knew nothing about this man, not even his name. So this is why he went to the Chief Coroner. From what he had been told, she took her job seriously and she was over curious about the cause of death of every one of her 'patients'. So curious that sometimes she went as far as solving the case by herself with two of her friends.

He had been told other things about her, things he would rather not think about. All he wanted was to question her about the death of Relena Peacecraft. He wanted to know every detail of her death and possibly what went through her mind when she saw the body of the girl.

He had gone to knock on the door, but heard her voice and stopped himself. She was literally yelling to herself. Then he heard something that made in cringe. This Chief Coroner that he had heard so much about on the news had a connection to the killer he had been after for several years. She was his daughter. 

He highly doubted she would be cooperative with her story. He gathered from the conversation that she couldn't do something he had asked of her. No matter what that was he was planning on finding out. This girl would be a key suspect in solving this multiple murders.

He unlocked the door and moved in slowly. He didn't want to catch her off guard. He had snuck into the hallway that led to her room and he watched her look out the window. Her eyes widened and she went to scream, but what came out wasn't a shriek, it was a gunshot. 

He moved fast, gritting his teeth to get to her faster. He didn't want another girl to end up dead because of this man. He leapt, tackling the blonde to the ground. 

When her eyes opened she looked at him, wondering who the hell he was and where the hell he came from. But what came out was different. 

"Get off of me!" she yelled, pushing his masculine body off of her thin frame. 

He grunted. What a nice way to show appreciation for saving her life? 

"Who shot that rifle, Miss Aino?" he asked, sitting up but avoiding the window. 

"I don't know," she lied. Her voice steady and smooth. She stood up, walking past the window and heading for her nearest exit. 

"Where do you think your going?" he grabbed her shoulder after he stood up. 

Minako yanked away. "I'm sorry, but I would like to stay alive." 

She continued her journey to the door, exiting her penthouse and heading for the elevator. She turned around after she pressed the elevator down button. "Who are you?" 

"Heero Yuy." 

"And you are here on what business?" She was used to people coming to ask her questions, or just bothering her all together. People did not like her line of duty, and they liked to express their emotions avidly to her. 

"I came to question you about the murder of Relena Peacecraft." 

Minako's reply came too quickly. "I know nothing." 

The elevator door opened and she walked in. He took a place next to her, his hands in his coat pockets. His unruly dark brown hair hung loosely around his face, pieces falling into his cobalt eyes. His body was lean but muscular, just south of an average height. 

What the girl noticed was he black slacks and white dress shirt with an undone black tie. Had he just come from work? 

"You examined her body, as well as others murdered by the notorious killer." 

She shrugged, wishing the elevator would go faster. "I did." 

"What did you find?" 

"What do you expect, Mr. Yuy? Like all of the other murders, he told her to take her clothes off, he did God knows what with her, put the bullet through her head and possibly ate part of her shoulder then removed the skin. He might have made a pattern then removed it, we don't know yet." 

"Did he rape her?" 

"We haven't found a trace of semen." 

The man said nothing, just watched the numbers count down above the elevator door. 

Minako watched him out of the corner of her eye. "Anything else?" 

"Who was the guy you were talking to?" 

"M-My father…" she looked over at him before directing her attention at the doors again. "Were you listening?" 

"You were yelling pretty loud." 

"So I was," she agreed. She wiped her face, hoping there were no tear stains on her cheeks. "I have a friend who can help you." 

He looked down at her questioningly. 

"With your shoulder, that is," she finished, pointing slightly to the cut. 

He nodded. 

"And thank you for saving my life, I suppose." 

"What couldn't you do for him?" 

"Nothing that is worth your time or energy to get out of me." 

He ignored her. "What other things have you done for him?" 

She was silent. This time Minako chose to ignore him. She didn't have to answer his questions. So far he hadn't flashed a badge or a warrant. She was free to say what she pleased, whether it is nothing, the truth or a big lie. 

"I'm a bitter woman, Mr. Yuy. I've seen more deaths than one could ever wish for. So please understand my actions in not answering your questions." 

"I heard you were more sunshine than gray skies." 

"Not anymore." 

"What happened?" 

"A man, Mr. Yuy." The door opened and she took the opportunity the end the conversation where it was. She had lied completely. She wasn't a bitter woman. Or at least she wasn't on the outside. 

He followed her, staying a step behind her. "You don't have to answer my questions truthfully. But I'll find out whether you lie or not." 

She shrugged. It didn't matter to her. 

"Why does he kill?" 

"For the same reason they all kill, fame." 

"I don't believe that's the case." 

"Then what do you think is the case, Mr. Yuy?" she turned around, glaring up at him at full force. 

"I believe there is someone higher than him, Miss Aino." 

"Someone controlling him?" she asked. She turned around and continued walking, knowing he would follow. She wasn't going to stay in her home for now. She knew he could come at any moment and she wasn't prepared for that yet. 

His reply was grim; his patience was running short. "He's just a pawn being used to cut the game down." 

"Down to what, Mr. Yuy? An unfair chess board?" she was very skeptical about this man's idea. 

"If you put it that way, yes." 

"Then what? Is my father just killing random people in order to gain…power or something?" 

He had finally gotten something out of this blonde. She had admitted that the killer was her father without knowing it. He chose to go on with the conversation. "Exactly, but not random people." 

"Sure, whatever, Mr. Yuy. He's just in it for the thrill." 

"The thrill," Heero snorted. 

"My car or your car, Mr. Yuy?" 

"Yours." 

"We'll take yours then. I don't need you to be snooping in my car." 

"How will you get home?" 

"I have a friend; I've already told you this." 

He didn't reply and she didn't mind much. She'd rather this conversation was over anyways. As much fun as it was to play the sour woman, the gruff man beside her was too tough for her liking. 

Sure, this man was handsome. She was positive this man wasn't good with his words, or anything emotional having to do with his face for that matter. She hadn't seen him move his luscious lips from that frown since they had first met. 

When the neared the black sleek Porsche, he undid the alarm and unlocked the doors. She opened the passenger side and stepped into the car, taking a seat on the leather chair. She couldn't help but wonder how he had bought this car and kept it so damn nice looking. 

He took his seat next to her in the driver's side, turned the car on and stepped on the pedal after he grabbed hold of the steering wheel. They turned out of the parking lot and head down the street. 

"McKingsley Hospital on 8th street," she directed him without him having to ask. How was he able to drive with that arm? 

He nodded his head and took a left on 8th. The big white hospital came into view as soon as they pulled up. The hospital was large, larger than most. It contained what any normal hospital did; waiting rooms, lounges, emergency desk and wing, ER wing, surgery, patients being treated, and parking to accommodate half the town. 

They walked in together, inches apart. She went up to the desk and asked the lady for her nurse friend. 

"Ah, one moment please," the stout woman with overly curly short white hair smiled to the pair. She picked up the phone and dialed a few numbers and asked for the doctor. "Just wait over there, she's on her way." 

"Thank you." 

Without further questioning, the two sat down at the seats pointed out to them and waited. 

"Why'd you become a Coroner?" Heero asked her after a few minutes of silence. 

She didn't answer. Why should she answer him? He was really getting on her last nerve. 

"Let me ask you this," she began, choosing her words carefully. "Why do you do what you do?" 

He shrugged. "I want peace. Just like Relena Peacecraft wanted." 

"You knew her then?" 

"Briefly, I met her when I was younger. She was a pacifist." 

"Not many of those around these days." 

"Minako?" 

Minako stood up, smiling at her long time friend. "Hello Ami." 

"Oh no…Minako…did he?" the short blue haired girl, Ami walked over to her friend and held her in her arms. 

"It's okay Ames," Minako pulled back. "I need you to wrap this man's shoulder. He saved my life so I guess I owe him something." 

Heero grunted. 

"I'll need him to fill out the forms…" 

"No, Ami. It's a gunshot wound," Minako put her hand on the forms, pushing them away. 

Ami sighed. "Fine, fine, fine. But I will not do this again, Minako. It could cost my job." 

"Thank you so much!" Minako flung into Ami's arms and hugged her tightly. "I hope this will be the last time. This man, Heero Yuy…that's what he said his name was, is investigating the murders. Hopefully he'll solve it before HE murders again." 

So this was the real Minako Aino? Heero thought to himself. Was she the mean bitter woman he was talking to earlier, or this overly dramatic girl she was being with this nurse? Two faced, he reflected, she hides one to protect herself. 

"Okay, Mr. Yuy. Come with me, I'll treat your wound. I am Dr. Ami Mizuno," Ami smiled down at him, her blue eyes shining. She led him to a small room where he sat down on one of the beds. She started cleaning his shoulder after he took one of his arms out of his shirt. 

"Did you drive with this arm?" Ami asked him, looking up from her work fully concerned. 

"Yes." 

"How did you do it? You have a ripped tendon and it looks like it almost grazed your shoulder bone here…" 

"High pain tolerance level." 

"Impressive, Mr. Yuy," Minako scowled. 

"Why did you let him drive, Minako? You should know better." Ami inspected the wound further, cleaning it more. 

"Like I was going to let him look through my car, Ami," Minako answered, taking a seat in the chair by the bed. 

"Minako…" 

"I'm sorry Ami, won't happen again." 

"You say that about everything." 

"Do not! Take that back, Ames! I do you favors, you do me favors!" 

Ami smiled heartedly, starting to wrap his shoulder. "I expect you won't use your arm to much." 

"Can't promise," Heero answered dully. 

"He doesn't say much unless he has too," Minako analyzed. "I noticed it earlier. By the way, Ami, would you mind if I stayed here with you until your shift was over and spend a few nights? I can't stay at my place." 

"No problem. We can go over Relena Peacecraft's murder." 

"As long as Usagi doesn't find out. That poor girl will have a heart attack at the thought of murder. She already hates my job, she's hated it since I started." 

"Who's Usagi?" 

"Curious one, aren't you?" Minako indicted. "Usagi is our friend. She's a pacifist, like Relena Peacecraft. She's been on high surveillance since the murders started so don't ask any more questions." 

"Don't be rude, Minako." 

"Sorry, mother." 

"Don't take that tone with me. Besides, he saved your life you should be grateful." 

"The world is against me today, I see." 

"I'd like to set up an appointment with you for later, Miss Aino. I'd like to get your story." 

"I don't have a story, Mr. Yuy." 

"I'd like to hear whatever you have, then. Tomorrow at 2PM?" 

Minako smirked. 

**_A.N.:_** Damn, what a long chapter. I certainly am getting better at writing more. I could have gone on, but I decided to have a little cliffhanger. I don't know if I'm going to go focus this more on Minako or Heero yet. But Minako, Heero and Ami are all going to play key parts in this. They MAY OR MAY NOT BE COUPLES. I'm still contemplating on it. Couples, are getting cliché. SilverCaladan told me something like this. Hmm, am I living off of her words? lol That'd be funny. Transcendent (no, I am not vain.) 


	3. Accusations

**_1 o'clock_** by: transcendent.

**_A.N.:_** If there are any spelling or grammar mistakes, I am very sorry. My lovely editor hasn't gotten my fic back to me with revisions yet so all of you will have to wait a day or two.   
  
I wasn't really planning on updating this so quickly. Actually, I had intending on writing chapters for my other stories before writing this chapter. The only reason I have for updating this instead of my others is that I like this story the most and I always think of ideas for this fic, instead of the others. But I will get the others out...I have a deal with AinoYuy. Hehehe, if I update Deadly Lies then I can tell her whatever story to update next. Isn't that great? ^___^

**Dedication:** SilverCaladan - _I live off of your words. You're like my little notebook but lifesize and less handier *cough*_

**ALL STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY. READ CAUTIOUSLY IF YOU ARE UNDER 13 YEARS OF AGE.**

**Chapter Three: Accusations** She had instinctively known to lock her windows and doors before leaving for work. But she couldn't help but be worried about her friend sleeping helplessly in her spare bedroom all alone. 

What would happen if someone sneaked inside while Minako was sleeping and killed her? Some might think this was highly unlikely, but in the situation that both Minako and Ami had been put it, the possibility was reversed to a dangerous outcome. 

Ami had thought about calling in sick to work that day, but she knew she couldn't. She had patients to treat and things to accomplish. People could be left to die if she wasn't there. 

But on the other hand, Ami would rather loose a life of one she did not know than loosing a life that was dearer to her. Someone so close to her heart couldn't be killed suddenly without as much as a good bye. She couldn't let that happen. 

Debating still, Ami stopped in the middle of the hallway. Should she turn back and call work? Make up an excuse to at least come in late to make sure Minako would be safe? Or should she just continue to work, hoping Minako would be safe from all danger? 

Like that would ever happen, Ami thought to herself. Minako was always in danger with her father still alive. No matter how much Minako had run and whenever she hid, he had always tracked her down. So many noble women had been killed at the hands of Aino Kin. 

Ami knew so well what he did to his victims, as did Minako. She had examined all of the bodies and then had come to Ami, always. Minako would never fail to come by sometime at night and discuss how the murder was played out. 

They'd first start off how he'd target the prey, in all cases it was a young lady in a range of fifteen to nearly twenty years old. They'd all been blonde, or had light chestnut colored hair. Each girl's hair had been rather long and usually had half pulled up in some fashion or another…and they all had large clear blue eyes. The women had bodies to kill for; slender but muscular lengthy tanned legs with slightly wide hips and toned buttocks that were round and firm. The bodies included a small flat waist with hints of well muscled abs that went well with fairly large breasts, petit shoulders with relatively muscular slim and long arms and dainty hands. Connecting to the shoulders, the necks of the women would be not quite long, more medium, average if one could call it that. The faces were heart shaped and silky smooth to the touch. The perfect woman, the image of Aphrodite. 

Minako never failed to point out that she had each attribute. Ami merely figured that he was just going off of old myths of the Goddess Aphrodite. But Ami couldn't help but realize the features of the girls' faces. Those blue eyes were stunning and reminded her of Minako's eyes more than any regular pair of blue eyes. 

That would mean these girls had secrets, many secrets that had to be well kept. These secrets made them different. Different in a way that made them stand out from others. They were happy creatures, always smiling brightly like Minako. Always joking and laughing loudly, flirting casually with men of all varieties. 

But their secrets made them hide behind that bubbly exterior to protect their deeply shrouded secrets. Those secrets were the cause of their death. 

Ami shook off the images of the girls from her face. Was Minako always doing this? Trying to get rid of the haunting eyes of those who had died at the hands of her father? Is that why she had always been the way she had been? 

Minako was more of a mystery than why killers kill and rappers rape. 

After discussing the girl's physical features and mental capabilities, Minako would direct their conversation towards what Aino Kin had been thinking when he had first spotted the ladies. They both figured he'd either seen them on TV before and targeted them especially, not just going on a whim and killing the next girl with blonde locks that passed by him. 

He would spot her in the distance, remembering her happy, always smiling face from television. He would casually walk up to her, strike up an ordinary conversation and maybe flirt a little. He didn't have to do much, he was a handsome man; taller than six feet, slim and muscular with a very clear debonair look. He was blonde with stunning blue eyes, like his daughter, although his eyes were darker and colder and more lifeless than Minako's always animated orbs. 

He was a skilled man. He was intelligent and that is what had most likely always had drawn the women to him. He could talk about any subject for hours. If he had been younger, Ami would have even gone for him; he was the man of every woman's dreams. 

That's why both Ami and Minako thought he had lured the women easily to anywhere he had willed them. He might have taken them to a room in a hotel and exercised his right as any human man to mate with the opposite sex. He probably had the women take showers so no trace of semen would be found. He'd take them home and kill them. Just like that without any emotional attachment to them whatsoever. 

He was no hit man. He never killed and left. Ami had pointed out to Minako several times the position of the dead body; it was always propped up against something. Sometimes a mirror, a television, on the kitchen counters next to the sink, on the toilet or leaning over it, in the bathtub, or the bed. Skin had always been removed, either it had been chewed on before and then removed or had been cut into a pattern and then been exorcised. 

Only he knew why he did these things. Why he would pick these women and why he'd cheat on his wife with then. Only he knew why he would kill them after a pleasurable night with no affections, only lust. 

Minako saw this all as a huge warning. She thought he had always been after her and he only killed the others to fulfill his enjoyment until he could kill her and finish his 'mission in life'. She tattled about the facts, the girl's resemblance to her, their physical and mental attributes, and where they had always been placed. Each place meant something to her, sometimes an old memory either old or new, good or bad, but the meant something to her and her father. 

The mirror resembled Minako's beauty. Her father would always look at her in a mirror, smiling to himself at her beauty. Minako knew this, she had always watched him and cringed when he put his hands on her shoulders or tightly hugged her from behind. 

The television was when Minako starred in the 'Sailor V' series that had been so popular. She was just thirteen when she had gotten the job and started her acting career. After that and many years to come she had been scarred and turned away from fulfilling her dream to be an idol. 

But she was always on the news. Being a Coroner had its downfalls. She was always needed in court to present the information she had found when she did autopsies. She was always questioned about the deaths of her clients. She was almost like a local celebrity, and a well hated one at that. 

The kitchen counters was where Minako had almost gone too far with her first boyfriend. Her father had caught her and punished her severely and later punished her boyfriend in near death. This happened again on the toilet, her father had caught her then, too. 

Drooping over the toilet was Minako's first hangover when she wasn't even old enough to legally drink. He had yelled at her while she poured the contents of her many drinks and various meals that she had had during the day into the toilet. 

Lastly, the bed. That was were Minako witnessed his first murder, the murder of his own brother, Aino Renjiro. Minako had loved her uncle like she would have loved her father. Renjiro had been her only father figure, and he had also loved her mother dearly for who she was inside instead of what her father loved her for. He only loved her because she was beautiful. 

Ami always brushed off Minako's past. She never added it into any equation, mainly because it was most likely a coincidence that the bodies had been placed in certain places. 

Besides, Minako had been afraid of her father since she was ten. He had always used her fear against her, threatening to do things to her if she didn't do something he told her to do. 

So, Ami just saw it as Minako's father taking Minako's fear once more and using it against her. He took her obvious fear and made her do things for him, such as get evidence from certain crime scenes and destroy it. She would have never done any of his tasks had not be scared of what he might do to her. 

Ami tried to think of the view point. Maybe he hadn't been using her fear against her. Or at least, he had been using it against her for quite some time until he finally decided he wouldn't mind killing his only daughter in cold blood as a punishment. 

"You know, if you stand in the middle of the hallway like that someone is bound to either knock into you, push you out of their way, or at least yell at you. But not me." 

Ami snapped back into reality, pushing her foreboding thoughts to the back of her mind instantly and focusing more on what was to be done currently. 

"Oh, I'm sorry," Ami apologized; her voice was weak as it had always been. She'd never been the one to speak up. 

The man in front of her shrugged it off easily. "I came to talk to a Mrs. Ami Mizuno?" 

"Dr. Ms. Ami Mizuno," Ami corrected. 

"Divorced, eh? What happened?" 

"Disagreements," Ami answered simply. 

Very large disagreements, and they had been about her friends. Her former husband had never liked her friends, and he especially disliked Minako. When she would come over frequently to talk about deaths and random murders he would storm out of the house and get drunk. She had had enough once night when he came home drunk after one of Minako's visits and she filed for divorce. 

"What's the topic at hand?" she asked, not caring much for where the conversation was headed. 

"The very popular topic of Relena Peacecraft is what is at hand, here," he mocked her clearly, his smile grew wider and his deep indigo eyes twinkled down at her. 

Ami felt a twitch, but kept herself collected and disregarded his rude manner. She just nodded instead. "I don't know much." 

"You know enough for my partner to be suspicious of you. But you don't look to suspicious to me…You're too beautiful to be suspected of anything." 

Ami's cheeks flushed suddenly. It made her uncomfortable slightly and she could only look down at his black shoes. First he was being rude and now he was flirting with her. He was an odd one. 

He seemed pleased with himself as he gave a slight chuckle. "You're a shy one, aren't you…Dr. Mizuno?" 

She didn't answer, but continued to look down slightly, her briefcase held tightly in both her petit hands in front of her dark blue silk sinuous skirt. 

"Ah, come on, Doc," the man begged for a response from her now. 

"Well you came to talk…and I do believe our discussion is over," Ami nodded curtly. "I am going to be late for work." 

"You're going to leave your beautiful friend by herself with her mad-father killer on the loose?" 

Ami paused. "And you know this how?" 

"My partner, Heero Yuy…I believe you mended his wound yesterday evening." 

Ami took note of this, and his attire which was remotely close to that of his partners; black casual dress shirt with the two top buttons undone with no tie and black slacks, his hands were deep in his pockets. 

"I'm Duo Maxwell," he pressed on. He stuck his hand out in front of him, daring Ami to take his hand. 

She met his hand half way in a firm handshake; his hands were warm to the touch and soft and easily engulfed her own hand in his. She pulled back quickly when it ended. "Nice to meet you." 

"A pleasure," he returned the civility. "About your friend? Shouldn't you stay with her to make sure she's alright?" 

"She can take care of herself, she's a big girl. Besides, she should be safe in my humble home." 

"What if she's not?" 

"Do you think she's going to be killed next? I highly doubt it. I'll tell you now that once he misses his target, he doesn't come back to finish his job for a while." 

"You know this how?" Duo asked, his curiosity rising in the subject. 

"He's tried to kill Minako before...about three times to be exact. It's quite a mystery to what is going on in his mind. But that is not for me to figure out." 

"Indeed…it isn't…but why don't you take it as a consideration to work on the case? I've heard you've solved multiple cases with Minako before." 

"This one should not be handled by a victim and her friend." 

"Why not? I mean, it should intrigue you more and it should give you that extra…what's it called?" 

"Motivation? Inspiration? Incentive? Raison d'être?" 

"The first," he nodded, pleased with himself once more. 

"No. I'd rather mind my own business than meddle in the affairs of the police." 

"Well I'm meddling in their affairs," Duo huffed. 

"Well you're an idiot," she fired back. 

"Hey, that wasn't too nice." 

"No one ever said I had to be nice. I'm pressed for time, Mr. Maxwell, we can have this little conversation later. By all means, you can wait for Minako to come out and question her just like Mr. Yuy did." 

He gave her a worried look. "You seem stressed; maybe you should take the day off to tend to your friend." 

She nearly growled out loud, but bit her tongue. "How would you know if I'm stressed?" 

"Your attitude, missy," he joked. "And you're posture. I'm a people person." 

"A people person, indeed!" Ami snarled. 

She was not being her usual self, but this man brought out a side of her she never knew she had. She was usually impassive and easy persuaded into doing things she did not want to do, but now she was being assertive and difficult? This was a change. 

"No need to get yourself in a fuss, Dr. Mizuno." 

"Too late," Ami replied. "I am going now. You know my address, obviously…and most likely have my number. Maybe we can set up an appointment for another day. Pleasure to meet you and good-bye!" 

She brushed past him, her regret hung in her head. She remembered the proverb, 'never burn bridges' and shuddered. She hoped to never meet this man again. At least, she never wanted to meet him if he held a position higher than her. 

"Wait, wait!" Dou called from behind her once she reached the end of the hall and had begun descending down the stairs. 

She didn't stop to wait, or even slow down her pace. 

"I'm sorry, Dr. Mizuno," he said breathlessly. His long lightly colored chestnut braid swung behind him and his long boisterous bangs flung about his face as he tried to catch up to her. 

"No need to be sorry," she called to him, going down the stairs that led to the underground parking lot. 

"I don't think you…" he stopped short, a few steps behind her as she ran up to her car. 

"What happened?" she yelled, touching her car, stroking it slightly. Her gray-ish blue metallic customized Mercedes had been trashed; the tires were slashed, the windows were broken and beautiful paint had been scratched, and the passenger door had nearly been ripped off. "Who did this?" 

"I don't know, I was hoping it wasn't your car." 

"Was it you? DID YOU DO THIS TO MY CAR? MY PRECIOUS CAR?" she yelled. She couldn't control her overwhelming anger anymore. "THIS COST ME OVER ONE HUNDRED FIFTY GRAND AND IT WAS CUSTOMIZED JUST FOR ME! HOW DARE YOU DUO MAXWELL!" 

She walked up to him briskly, putting her hands on his collar and pulling up down to her level. He put up his hands in defense. 

"It was me!" he protested. "I swear on any blue moon that it was not me!" 

"I can't believe you would go to this length to get me to talk to you!" 

"I didn't do it, Doc, listen to me!" 

"You owe me one hundred and seventy grand, young man, and I want every penny in my hand right now!" Ami was shaking in her anger. "I will also see you in court!" 

"Dr. Mizuno, it wasn't me! Look at the damn security cameras for Christ's sake. IT WAS NOT ME!" 

She steamed, her anger boiling over. "How dare you say it was not you! No one in this condominium would ever do such a thing like this!" 

He grabbed her hands off of his collar and held her fists in his hands. He looked down at her, calmly. "I did not do it, Dr. Mizuno. I would never do anything this cruel to someone so undeserving…and beautiful I might add." 

Her fists still shook. "Okay, Mr. Maxwell, but you better help me catch the culprit. No one damages any car of mine and gets away with it." 

He laughed despite the situation. "You're even more beautiful when you're angry, Dr. Mizuno." 

The comment sent her back to realism and her anger faded away. "W-w-well…thank you, I guess." 

He just smiled down at her, letting her small hands slip from his grip. "I'll drive you to work, if you'd like." 

Ami's emotions were going haywire. First she was worried about Minako, of whom she had forgotten about in the past five or so minutes. She was so worried she had debated on whether to miss work or not, which she never did. Then when she met Duo, she had grown cold, trying to avoid him at almost all costs, even being inconsiderate and impolite. She had acted rude to him, and had gotten him to chase her down the hall after she had grown fairly angry. 

Ami couldn't even remember the last time she had been truly this angry with anyone besides her ex-husband. Duo made her feel emotions she hadn't felt since she was in her younger years. 

Then her car! Oh Lord, her beautiful car…in near shambles when she had reached it. She had accused Duo, she never accused anyone without cause. Not even those who were guilty. She had always followed the axiom 'innocent until proven guilty'. And since when had she ever jumped to conclusions? She had jumped on him several times in such a short time. 

Duo Maxwell was just an irksome man, a rather attractive irksome man, but a man of irritation nonetheless. He come make her calm one moment and angry the next. But she felt safe with him. 

Safe? If it wasn't for Ami's nice upbringings she would have shouted bullshit to herself. Ami had never been safe. She had never been safe from feeling alone or safe from being hurt. 

"Come on, my car is this way." 

**_A.N.:_** Alright. For all of you who are wondering if I'm going to get some Ami/Heero and Minako/Duo scenes in this fic, I will. I'll get to it all, I promise. I still don't know if I want definate couples, but I know which couple is for sure. I will not change that couple, no ifs, ands, or buts about it, it's final. And no, I'm not planning on telling you either ^__~ And be cautioned now, **the next chapter has murder in it**. I'm going to be pretty graphic, or as graphic as my writing skills will allow me to be -_- That's it for now, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I encourage you to flame if you want. But I'd really like some fucking CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM. That's all, folks. Transcendent (with much love). 


	4. Martyr

**_1 o'clock_** by: transcendent.

**_A.N.:_**Sorry about the grammar and spelling errors once more. My editor and I haven't been seeing much of each other lately ;__; I could have sent this through email to her...but I guess I'm just a lazy ass. This is nine pages long, so be happy. It's past midnight at the moment..so....I'm tired.

**Dedication:** SilverCaladan - _I MISS YOU!_

**ALL STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY. READ CAUTIOUSLY IF YOU ARE UNDER 13 YEARS OF AGE.**

**Chapter Four: Martyr** _He walked with confident steps through the snow deep in the temple. The rocks were black underneath the stars and he could see his breath clashing with the dark sky. Aino Kin knew he wasn't a mere man with handsome features; he was magical. He was like a God trapped inside a human's incapable body. _

He knew no fear, and he knew no true happiness. The only times he had been happy was when he saw his daughter in pain. He loved watching her beautiful features melt into depression as she saw the girls he killed. 

Beneath his burrowed blonde brows he scanned the area, the unconscious blonde haired girl in his arms. All he had done was spilled a Rohypnol pill into her drink. After that she was easily conquered. He had always loved the concept of the 'Date Rape drug'. 

Kin had slipped past the bouncers with the simple excuse of her being drunk; it wasn't a long shot. She did have the symptoms of a drunken girl, being dizzy and disoriented. But she wasn't drunk; she hadn't even had any alcohol. 

He finally stopped in front of a large oak tree standing in the middle of a small clearing. He had seen his daughter sit in this very spot and cry. About what he did not know, but this spot meant something to her. 

That's why he wanted to destroy it. This place would bring up bad memories, not those she cherished so dearly. 

Kin set the blonde on the ground, propping her up against the tree. Her head slowly rolled forward, and hung down. She was truly beautiful and innocent. But those damn blue eyes reminded him of Minako too much, that's why she had to die. 

However, this girl was also a friend of his beloved daughter. A close friend, actually. Kin grinned to himself, his eyes clearly narrowing and his lips widened to form the sinister smile. 

Once he set her down he squatted and removed her coat, skirt, socks, shoes, shirt, and anything else that got in the way. This time Kin wasn't going to rape the girl; he couldn't do it without leaving traces of evidence inside her. 

After Kin folded her clothes and placed them aside, he took the small dagger from his belt and slowly cut into her abdomen and chest, creating letters and soon words. He was doing this one differently. He wanted Minako to be scared. Kin wanted her to live in fright for not obeying him. 

He lifted up her face in his gloved hands and cut into her slowly paling cheeks. On half of her face Kin created a sad mask, carving a teardrop under her right eye and cutting to make her mouth look dropping downwards into a frown. On the other side, he made her lip curve upward and made lines on her cheeks, forehead and temple; he was making her left eye almost like the sun with lines showing the direction of the light illuminates from the glowing sphere. 

Kin moved down to her arms, making a straight line that went from the top of her shoulder down to her wrist before making lines over her fingers. He repeated this to the other arm but dug deeper into her silky flesh. He made small circles, squares, and triangles all down her legs to finish off his masterpiece. But Kin was not completely done. He took the knife to the girl's throat, cutting smoothly across her flesh; he had to make sure she did not survive. 

He stripped off his bloodied gloves and stuffed them roughly into the knapsack he had thoughtfully brought along, he did the same with her clothes. He was happy he was finished, but he knew it wouldn't be his last time he killed until he finally got to his own wonderful daughter. 

He eradicated his footprints in the soft new snow. He had planned this well. He searched in the snow, digging like a dog trying to find his bone. He knew it was there, the emergency door into the subway. He brushed aside more snow until he found the folded aluminum foil he had cleverly placed between the door and the frame. He gripped the ring that was the handle and opened the lid in the ground. 

Below were the dark bowels of the subway and the screaming of a train. He dropped the knapsack inside; his boots rang on the metal ladder as he climbed down. 

Her father had found out about Usagi. He had taken Usagi's life away like he would have taken hers. This was her punishment. And God, it was the worst she had ever received. 

The sudden feelings of remorse, of guild, sadness, hatred, love and care for her dear friend, and revenge had come to her abruptly. These feelings just rushed into her without a care to any defenses that could have existed. She was used to masking it and smiling through the pain, or crying silently in her room. Never had this aching existed; this stinging need to break down suddenly. 

She wanted to scream loudly, shrilly, and painfully. She wanted to feel her throat disintegrate with the vibrations of her vocal cords. She wanted to find someone to kill, to push her fists into their heart and tear through the organ. 

So why was she just standing there, looking down at her dead friend as if nothing was there? 

Minako put her arms around herself to try to control the tremors running through her body. The sting of oncoming tears appeared suddenly and her nose automatically plugged up; the sniffling was impossible to stop. 

It was this reaction that made the man next to her give her a look of sympathy. 

"You've seen millions of dead bodies before; don't tell me it's finally getting to you." 

He knew nothing. "It'll never get to me." 

"Aino, where do you want me to put her body?" It was one of the workers in Minako's division. 

"Let me take a look at her…then you can take her to the morgue so I can look at her more closely." 

"Yes ma'am." 

Minako chose to ignore the taller man staring intently down at her with his hands in his pockets. His detective badge on his chest was glaring at her in all its golden glory. 

Out of the corner of her eye she could see the anger in his beautiful green eyes. Trowa Barton hated the ferocious killer codenamed 'Yokio'. When he had walked up to her after paging her, she had recognized anger in his bearing and impatience in his stride. Even the power that he carried had become more loudly noticed than before. 

"His games are escalating," he said quietly, staring at the body leaned up against the tree. "…Damn malignant genius." 

"What kind of shape is she in?" Minako asked, being oblivious to his whisper. 

"Frozen," he answered her. 

"She could have been out here for days…" Minako mused. "But then someone would have found her sooner than now." 

He shrugged, "Winter." 

The photographers had stepped away from the body momentarily, leaving the body free to examine. Trowa stepped closer to Minako, their arms touching as if they needed each other for warmth; they had grown close over the years. 

The two did not speak as they stepped forward to confront the gruesome view of the girl. The only thing Minako could focus on as her eyes stung once again was the two odangos she used to tease. 

"God…" she muttered in a small sigh. 

Minako once again felt her emotions reach a stage she couldn't control. She hadn't cried in years and she hadn't cried in front of anyone since she was ten. 

"Who found the body?" Minako asked, sniffing once to hold back her tears. Somehow it was getting harder and harder to hold them back. 

"Do you want me to call someone else to do this one, Minako?" Trowa offered. Maybe he did know something. 

"No, it's okay…" she whispered. She knew it wasn't okay, so why was she lying? Her close friend was sitting dead by the oak tree she always went to clear her thoughts. The oak tree that was cleverly located at her best friend's shrine. 

"Aino," Trowa put both of his hands on her shoulders. "If it was okay, you wouldn't be in near tears." 

"Sometimes everyone needs to cry," she countered. She didn't pull away from him, however. She liked the feeling of his strong and powerful hands on her petit shoulders. It made her feel stronger, even if she felt half alive. 

Minako sniffed once more to find a handle on her emotions. "Did you find her clothes?" 

"Not a trace," Trowa shrugged, taking his hands from her shoulders. He was going to play along with her for now, but he'd always be there when she decided to take off her mask. 

Minako studied the snow covered ground. "No footprints either." 

"We're thinking it has snowed from the time of her death to now." 

She nodded. 

Trowa went on, an unnatural occurrence for him. "There are witnesses saying they saw the pair leave the Bedrock-" 

"A club?" 

He nodded. "Apparently she had a few to many and he escorted her out of the bar." 

"We'll have to check her alcohol level. I'm pretty certain she would never drink." 

"Certain how, Aino?" 

Minako's lips moved sideways in uncertainty. "I knew her." She could feel Trowa's curious eyes focus on her own hues. "Who found her?" 

"A guy named Chad; he supposedly lives here with the priest." 

Minako nodded again. "Who's questioning him?" 

"Quatre." 

"Aren't you supposed to do that?" 

Trowa shrugged again, his broad shoulders lifting up slightly then falling back down, his hands never leaving his pant pockets. 

"Let's see here," Minako tried to put some puzzle pieces together. "What it seems is that…He met this girl at the Bedrock, where witnesses say they saw them together. He then gets her drunk, or slips her a drug and she somehow becomes disabled enough for him to take her away with the bouncer's approval. Then he takes her here, carrying her perhaps, then sets her down after taking her clothes off and doing God knows what with them. Then he fucking uses her corpse as his fucking canvas and trashes her body. Then he takes the knife a few more times to make sure she's fucking dead." 

"That's the way it appears at this time." 

They stood in silence. The two could hear Quatre questioning the tall, feeble, shaggy black haired, old time rock star Chad. They could hear the reporters talking to the audience behind the camera and behind the televisions in skirts and high heels. They could hear sirens, and the two could see red lights flashing everywhere as more cops pulled up and put the yellow tape around the crime scene. 

That's when Minako saw the familiar black Porsche drive up, followed by a red Viper. Both pulled up in all their grace, their engines were purring like kittens. The doors opened and slammed shut in near unison. The figures, both dressed in black walked over to the scene. 

Minako didn't have to do a double take, she knew who was in that Porsche, and she had a good guess as to who was in the Viper. Minako stepped closer to Trowa, she almost felt restive without being near him. 

"Good evenin' toots, the name is Duo Maxwell," Heero's comrade grinned, his eyes unseen behind his dark sleek sunglasses. Heero only nodded as he studied Minako and Trowa, then the body of the dead girl. 

Minako nodded back, taking his hand which had made its way to the space between them. "Minako Aino, nice to meet you since I've heard quite a bit about you from Ami." 

Duo smiled back. 

"Tsukino Usagi," he said murkily. "I thought you said she was under surveillance, Miss Aino." 

"Don't ask me questions, Mr. Yuy. It is not my job to make sure she stays in her home," she replied, knowing Trowa's eyes were glaring down at her again in curiosity. 

"Trowa, I forgot you were into this crap…" Duo said, he flipped his long brunette braid over his shoulder, breaking the small tension. 

This time Minako was struck with interest. "You know each other?" 

"We were in the war together," Heero answered. "What was the temperature last night?" 

Minako scrunched her nose oddly. "I believe it got down to eleven degrees, wind chill ten below zero." 

"And she took off her clothes and shoes?" Duo asked, seemly to himself. "That's …unusual." 

"She was unconscious, he did it for her," Minako corrected him. 

No one spoke; the four were replaying what could have happened in their minds. They stared at the tree, the picture of the dead girl leaned against it with her chin to her chest and the dead red and orange leaves that had forgotten to fall off earlier falling off around her. 

They could see the indentations made by the victim's bare buttocks when her body was positioned. Her blood was as bright as when she had died because it was frozen. 

Duo spoke then, the silence broken again. "Why did she let him escort her out in the first place? She should have known it was unsafe." 

"Naivety," Trowa shrugged. 

"How do you get from the road to here without being scene?" Heero asked suddenly, as if he had an idea. 

"Cut through the woods, perchance…" Minako answered; she knew how to get to this spot very well. 

"Do you think he erased all of his prints?" 

Hours later Minako was sitting in the waiting room of Doctor Motoki Furuhata's office. The room was furnished and carpeted in gray, magazines arrange on black tables for the guests. The Japanese couple sat across from her on the couch, tightly holding hands. Minako knew them well; they were the parents of Usagi. When Minako had entered, they had looked up briefly and smiled and then returned their glanced back downwards. 

Minako felt heartbroken. They knew she had tried her hardest to keep Usagi safe. But she didn't know how well the Tsukino's knew that Minako felt just as bad as they did about Usagi's murder. Minako wished that they, out of all the few who had lost someone to such a death, could be comforted in knowing who did it. 

But the problem was Minako didn't want them to know it had been her father. Even thinking about her father murdering one of her closest friends made her want to hunt him down herself. And in a way, that idea wrapped around her like a warm blanket. 

She wished she cold give that warm blanket to the Tsukino's. But giving gifts of comfort after death had never been meant for Minako, even if she could cheer them up with her smile…the wounds would still be open for infection. 

Even if Minako had not known this particular family, she knew that the words she could have offered would have been false. Most times when she had spoken to the parents of the murdered, they were never entirely true. For how does one measure the mental anguish of their son or daughter being killed without notice or heresy? How could she imagine what their dearest one could have felt in those last moments of her conscience? 

Minako had no idea, even if she had been in positions with a gun in her face. She knew her father had taken off Usagi's clothes to get his message to Minako, and that only reminded her of the unlimited depths of his cruelty and his insatiable appetite for games. 

For he knew that her nudity was not necessary. He did need her to telegraph the small message and he didn't need to telegraph the large world message that she had died alone when she could have stayed at home. Why couldn't he had made this easier for her and just pulled out his Glock and caught her unaware sitting at that bar? 

An elderly white-hared woman appeared before the couple. "Mr. and Mrs. Tsukino?" 

"Yes?" 

"I can take you in now, if you're ready." 

Kenji Tsukino nodded solemnly as his wife began to shed the tears of her heart's grief. 

The two were led in the direction of the viewing room, where the body of their daughter would be carried up from the morgue by a special elevator. Many could not grasp the concept or idea of death unless they had seen or touched it first. Minako could have gone in with them, but despite the many viewings she had witness and arranged over the years, she just couldn't imagine it being someone she had loved dearly. 

She didn't even think she could bear that last fleeting glance through the glass at the blonde haired body of her friend. 

Minako shook her thoughts away and rested her head in her palm, setting her elbow carefully on the arm of the chair. 

"Miss Aino?" the secretary of Dr. Furuhata was standing over her. "You alright?" 

"I'm fine, thank you," Minako answered back. She stood up, brushing soft wrinkles out of her skirt. "I didn't expect to see you here, Amanda." 

The woman smiled. "I wasn't expecting to see you here today, either, Miss Aino. But things aren't exactly normal right now. I'm surprised you managed to get in without being accosted by reporters." 

Minako frowned. "What reporters?" 

"They were flocking around here last night," Amanda answered. "I'm assuming you saw the morning _Times_?" 

"Haven't had the chance." 

Amanda shook her head. "It's a mess. It seems the man who found the body gave explicit details to the paper. This town does not need this sort of publicity, and the mayor knows it; he called us this morning." 

Minako frowned as the started heading down the hallway. She hadn't of thought that Chad would have given anything to the reporters unless it had been Rei, and Rei didn't work for the newspaper. 

"He supposedly is one of those nutcase joggers who jog in any weather. He just happens to jog every morning around the woods at the Hikawa Shrine and found the body. He neared the tree, where he always does his typical stretches and found the girl lying dead. He even knew her, from what the paper said. His description of the body was very detailed, and needless to say people are more scared than they should be." 

Minako's frown deepened. Chad couldn't have remembered details that would have made anyone necessarily scared. She didn't even think he had ever been in the kind of shape to jog around the shrine. 

The two passed through several doorways and finally came to the doctor's office. Amanda opened the door and led Minako in. 

"Good afternoon, Minako." He got up from his desk. "Anyone with you?" 

"Captain Winner and Chief Barton should be with us shortly." 

"Amanda will make certain they are shown the way, unless you'd rather wait." 

Minako knew Motoki did not want to wait because there simply wasn't the time. He commanded the largest medical examiner's office in the country, where eight thousand people a year were autopsied on his steel tables. 

The two put on their gear—shoe covers, gloves, scrubs, masks, air packs, face shields, and hoods. As they were finishing up Trowa and Quatre came in and pulled their paraphernalia on in silence. 

They filed out of the locker room and met steel drawer 392. Mortuary assistants hoisted the body out and set it on top of a gurney. Usagi's dead body was nude and pitiful on her cold, steel tray. 

Finally Minako was able to read the message on the Usagi's chest. 

_This could have been you…_

**_A.N.:_** Minako/Trowa scenes here. The next chapter is focusing more on Ami/Duo, Ami/Wufei, and Minako/Wufei (argumentive). Makoto might show up *shrugs* I don't know yet. I've decided that Rei and Quatre are a couple...and are currently engaged, so it is highly unlikely that Quatre will hook up with Minako or Ami. But *shrug* you never know I guess. For all of you who hate me because I killed Usagi...I'm deeply sorry. It's not like I totally hate her, it was just needed for this story. If you skipped over it or believed it was Relena, then so be it, but if you wish to stop reading this fic because I've killed off Usagi then go ahead. Oh yes, and please do not give me any crappy reviews. It took me quite a while to write this chapter and I'm expecting you to write a review worthy of my time. Make me feel like this chapter was not a waste of my precious sleeping time...OH, and if you want to flame me for fucking killing Usagi, BE MY GUEST. Like a lot of my friends, I'd enjoy some action in my dull internet life. Now it's off to dream about how many nice reviews I get, let me see my dream come true haha. Transcendent (the damsel not in distress).  
  
_P.S. - 15 years old today (Oct. 11). _


	5. Never Again

**_1 o'clock_** by: transcendent.

**_A.N.:_**Before you scream at me for not updating in a while (I always tend to do this?) I'm sorry! There is a certain scene in this story that I suppose I was..sort of...avoiding...in the least. I don't have much things to share with y'all....I changed my profile, nothing new. I might get a new email address, nothing new there either. My AIM is still the same, but now you can all see I'm on and can IM me (before I was on private). I haven't been online often to talk to my best buddies (**SILVER CALADAN I LOVE YOU**). I haven't seen **Aino** like...at all. Oh wow, that saddens me. (Not sarcastic lol)

What else? Ah, school. School is getting to be another pain in my fucking ass, y'all. I'm serious. Math blows. I hate my teacher and I hate that we have homework every night. I got a D in French this quarter, that blows. But everything else is nice and dandy.

Oh yes, I have an IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT. Since FFnet doesn't allow an NC-17 type things on the site anymore, I edited this chapter only for FFnet. I actually took out the sex scene from this, so all of you that shouldn't read it, don't read it. I know you all want to read it though, it's practically my first lemon...so, I just uploaded the thing on geocities. I'll release the URL at the bottom of the chapter so you can rush off to it when the time comes!

Alright, now to the new additions to my...posting-stories-routine...I'm going to respond to my reviewers...or I'm going to start doing that again. After a while I guess I got fed up with answer all of your stupid questions over and over again...lol but now I'm more patient and I guess I can answer your questions now (unless it reveals too much about the plot). Another reason why I brought this back....was simply because I was bored all night and I wanted to answer back to Wishful Thinking lol...so here goes nothing, eh? 

**Wishful Thinking:** HA! So Liz made you review? That's okay, at least you reviewed for every chapter instead of being lazy. Couples in general are cliché in most sections because every story ends up with couples. All of them besides what? One or two? It rarely happens that a couple gets to together and it doesn't work out in stories these days. Life, is where things don't always work out...and in stories around here...they make it so love is perfect, and everyone falls in love and gets together and gets married and BOOM...they live happily ever after. Well none of that is always true. Nowadays, people get divorced more than they stay together. So *shrug* I just believe that couples ending up together are clichéd... 

About chapter two, I think I was lazy...and I didn't use Liz's edits -_-;; Sorry there. I just get lazy after I write a whole god damn chapter, and then I have to go back and edit the whole fucking thing. So I just didn't that time -_- Or the lasts times I believe. Damnit *growls at self* I think I've been getting better though... 

It works because her father remembers all those scenarios, and ...basically recreates them with the people he kills. Does that make any more sense to you?? 

Descendent of Jack the Ripper? OH NO OF COURSE NOT -_-;; It's actually more or less from the multiple mystery books I read. Just an abundance of killing-nature I've picked up from the many books by Patricia Cornwell (she's such a damn good writer). Once you've read enough books with killing, you...acquire a certain...extensive...ability to write about death I guess. lol That sounds sooo bad. I'm not a killer, I seriously am NOT. 

Trowa...well..I don't know. I hate how people portray him. I hate how they portray Heero, and Minako, and Ami, and Wufei, and just about every character. They over exaggerate their main characteristics. Like Trowa, for instance. Sure, he leans against walls a hell of a lot, but that doesn't mean he does it every fucking minute. He might be prone to not saying a lot, but he says shit when he wants to (or when I want him to...ha). Heero, they all think he says nothing but 'hn' unless he's in love with Usagi. Of course then he can spill out his entire life (of which he magically remembers) to her. Minako, they make her this all bubbly fucking Barbie girl. It's horrible what they do to her. Sure, she gets her proverb's wrong, but what the fuck? She doesn't do it EVERY OTHER SENTENCE. And it's just gruesome what they do to Ami. Ami isn't ALWAYS shy. She might be passive, but she stands up for her rights when she fucking wants to. Wufei, he does NOT always get pissed at Duo for stealing his katana. Wufei does not ALWAYS chase Duo around and threaten to cut off his fucking braid. 

Sorry, went overboard there. I really don't mean to offend anyone -_-;; It's all the influence of....Liz and Rita... 

Thank you again for reviewing all my chapters at once ^_^ I'm glad to have you as my reviewer. ^_~ 

**SVZ:** I don't know if I'm going to pair Trowa with Makoto. I don't even know if I'm going to have Mako in this story at all (actually, I've quite forgotten who I was going to add, thank god for AIM logs). Quatre is with Rei, and that's how it will stay. Ami ...will either be paired with Wufei, or Duo..or it might not work out at all between them (love triangle *makes triangle with fingers like Sil does* **Summer Firefly:** I'm glad you like what I've picked out so far. Trowa and Minako have been working together for years now, so naturally they would have gotten closer. Thanks for promising to review more lol You don't have to, but I would appreciate it ^_^ Reviews make me all bubbly inside **Tsubasa-chan:** Hey, yo! WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO UPDATE, DAMNIT? I'm great at stalking, but let's not have you find that out the hard way lmfao (I'm jk here). I'm glad you like the fic so far, and I'm glad you're glad I didn't kill of Usagi..or Relena. I'll 'see' you in your next review, or my next review *waves* OH, and thanks for the happy birthday ^_~ Finally 15, ya' know? I've been waiting forever to turn 15, and I feel no different lol Being older is overrated. **VOL-chan:** Hmm, she was passed out...in a coma-state maybe. I didn't do enough research on the date-rape drug. I just know it would make her pass out and pretty much make her seem like she was drunk. That's all I needed. But she wasn't dead when he cut into her, but she wasn't able to feel it if that makes you feel better! 

Yes, eventually all the pilots will enter this story...and a few other GW characters, too, as well as a few minor SM characters. Thanks for the happy birthday. 

And, the review was long enough. Very entertaining too, babe! I'll talk to you later ^_^ 

**crystalgem2003:** Thanks for reviewing, and thanks for wishing me a happy birthday! ^_^ I try to make all my stories different since a lot of plotlines out there are cliché and shit...hehe ^_^;; **Melika:** I'm glad you think this is good, and I'm very glad you love it. Minako is my overall favorite characters because she has so many dynamics I can relate to. Thanks for reviewing! **SilverCaladan:** You loser -_-;; But lol, thanks for the song! I love you *hugs* We neeeed to talk. I hate school, it keeps me from you!! Ha! **Aino Yuy:** I can't believe that's ALL you said in your review. And after all the times I've written you pages and pages!!! YOU GIVE ME THREE SENTENCES! That's bullshit *cries* I'm expecting a lengthy review for this chapter to make it up to me!! **AznxAngel:** Did I make you review this chapter? lol I think I might have. OH WELL. *hugs* I'm glad I make everyone who tries to portray an autospy look like idiots. Ha! ^_~ **Pyro*Chic:** DON'T MESS WITH ME LIKE THAT! YOU ALMOST MADE ME HAVE A FUCKING HEART ATTACK! But hey, you shouldn't hate your writing. Being 15 almost sucks. The expectations are stupid, and you still can't do certain things (like driving and getting into R rated movies). You get odd looks when you trick or treat, too. Pfft. **Optical Illusions:** Hey, hun! ^_^ It's fine that you're late. I'm glad you resigned up for ff.net! I was scared you had quit or something!! ;_; That would have been bad bad bad. One last thing. Some parts of this may seem rushed, but it's because Ami herself is in a rush...therefore..it's all hurried? No real explanation, that's all you get... 

**Dedication:** SilverCaladan - _*sings Mariah Carrey* aaand thennn a heeero comes alloong, with the streeength to carrrry on, and you caast your feears asiddee, and you know you caaaan survivvee! so when you feeel like hoope is gone, look inside you and be strong, and then you finnaally see the truth that a heeeeeeeeero lies in youuuuuu! ^_^;; Yeah, this shit is dedicated to Sil...or Liz, whatever the fuck I called her in this chapter ^_^;;;;; I love Sil *huggles*_

**ALL STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY. READ CAUTIOUSLY IF YOU ARE UNDER 13 YEARS OF AGE.**

**Chapter Five: Never Again** Ami took out her keys and inserted them into the keyhole of her apartment. Her life, from this point on, would be less easy. 

No one so close to her had ever died, and Ami didn't know how to handle her feelings if Minako were to die. She wanted to lie down on her bed and hug her pillow tightly; crying into the softness. She felt as if she could just stop living and fall over. It was as if her life was going to slowly deteriorate from this point; it would never ameliorate. 

But what about Minako? It had to be twice as hard to live right now for her. The feelings of guilt could have slowly washed over her by now and rendered her soul lifeless. She knew her very own father wanted her dead. And even in his subtle cunning, he was going to get the job done sooner or later. 

Ami shivered slightly, feeling the coldness of her penthouse suddenly. She stepped into the living room after placing her shoes next to her now closed and locked door. Her hand immediately went to the small knob on the wall which turned up the heat. 

She signed seeing the little red light blinking on her answering machine. "Just what I need…" She shuffled to the machine, pressing the largest button and waiting for the message to be repeated. 

"You have one unheard message. Message one was left at six forty nine pm December 19th." Silence, until the small beep and the familiar masculine voice. "Hey Ami. I'm back in town for a while and I wanted to see you again for a little. Meet me at the small café on Ninth Street at nine tonight if you can. I hope to see you soon." 

Ami's hand hovered over the erase button. Why did he call her? She looked down at her watch. 

"Oh shit…" she muttered. She had stayed at work a bit longer than she had anticipated, and it was nearly nine already. She ran into her room, taking her black dress pants and blouse off and replacing them with a chocolate peasant layered skirt that barely reached her knees and a gray sweater and lacy tan undershirt. 

Ami opened her closet door, grabbing her brown leather mid calve boots. She placed them on her feet then rushed over to her vanity. She picked up some make up and touched up her worn look. 

She grabbed her lip gloss and picked up her Coach leather carry bag. Ami placed her keys and necessities in her bag and rushed out the door, locking it again behind her. 

Ami nearly flew down the six flights of stairs in twenty seconds. She sped out of the main lobby and down to the parking underneath the building. Ami pressed a small button, her rental car's head and tail lights flickered and her alarm turned off after a loud, short beep. She opened the door and sat on the tan leather seat. She started her car and looked at the clock again. 

She whispered to herself. "I'm late! Damnit!" 

Ami quickly gathered her silver Motorola cell phone from her bag after she turned on the car lights. She briefly looked in her mirror and put the car in reverse and started driving out of the parking lot. 

The phone rang only once before the voice answered the phone. "Be quick." 

"It's Ami. I won't be here when you come home." 

"Oh," the voice on the other said. "Ami…I won't be coming home tonight. Uh…something…big happened." 

Ami frowned. "What happened?" 

For a while there was nothing. "He killed someone else." 

Ami slammed on her brakes when the light suddenly turned red on her. "Damnit! …Who was it?" She took the time of the light to apply her lip gloss. 

"You shouldn't be driving and talking. I'll call you later, okay?" 

Ami sensed the urgency to change subjects in Minako's attitude. She only did that when she was upset. "Minako, are you about to cry?" 

"No. I can't talk anymore, I've got to go." 

"Okay, fine. I'll be expecting a call later and an explanation." 

"Yes, mother. Call Makoto for me, tell her Rei will be giving her a call." 

"I don't have time. Wufei called." 

Silence again. 

"I'm meeting him..." 

"Ami." 

"I know. Nothing will happen, I promise." 

"Somehow, I don't think this time you can promise. I really have to go now. Later." 

Ami didn't know what that meant, but she let it go. "Bye." 

Ami felt dumbfounded. For some odd reason every moment seemed faster than it really was. She felt she was rushing for no reason. She felt like she was missing something. 

She pulled into a parking spot in front of the café. She turned off her car and grabbed her bag. Ami stepped out of her rental car and hurriedly walked to the front of the café. 

She opened the door, hearing the familiar bell above the door ring. Ami looked around the small room. The linoleum floor was still dark brown and tan tiles. The in front of the door was still dark brown. The counters were still yellow, and the booth and chair cushions were still brown. The lights above still had yellow covers, and the place still didn't take credit cards. 

Ami caught a glimpse of the familiar sleek black hair in the back of the coffee shop. She walked over, taking her time and trying not to make her boots click on the floor. 

She put on her best smile after flipping her wavy shoulder blade length blue hair. Ami sat in the chair across from her boyfriend. 

"Sorry I'm late…I didn't get back home until eight fifty," she smiled with her excuse. 

"That's fine. I didn't think you were going to come," he replied. 

"How long are you in town for?" 

"Two days. This is my last night…" 

Suddenly she was angry. "Why didn't you call me earlier?" 

He shrugged in his non-caring manner. "I didn't think you would want to see me." 

"Don't lie." Her mouth turned into a thin line, her bangs falling into her eyes. 

He ignored her. "I thought you were going to cut your hair." 

"I canceled my appointment. I couldn't go out in public with the blotches I had acquired from crying for two days straight," she said hoarsely. 

Wufei reached over the yellow table and took her hand in his. "I'm sorry." 

"No need to be sorry." She took her hand back and replaced it in her lap. "You were only being a man." 

"Started to dislike men like that friend of yours?" 

"No. And do not tamper with my temper right now. You should know Rei is being stalked at the moment." 

"No, I didn't know. I'm not her stalker." 

"What is with you, Wufei Chang? Since when have you become so overbearing like this? You've never been this way before. What happened to the nice, gentle, caring Wufei that I fell in love with?" 

"He's waiting for the nice, gentle, caring Ami to come back. The Ami that cares more about me than her nitwit friends." He stopped for a moment, taking his time to look up and sigh at once before starting his rebuttal again. "I used to despise women until I met you, and so far, you're the only woman I've had any respect for, and it will probably stay that way." 

"There are millions of women out there that are just as easily respected as I am, and are twice as beautiful and glamorous than me. So why don't you go crying to them?" Ami knew she had cross the invisible line that had always been marked. But she didn't know what would happen. 

"Ami, you know I care deeply for you, and that's why I don't go crying to them." 

"You could have anyone you want, Wufei, so why do you choose me?" 

Wufei's obvious Chinese features paused for a moment. His chocolate eyes lingered on Ami's blues, and his mouth didn't stretch further than an oval. He went without blinking. 

Ami sighed, her features, unlike Wufei's, faltered. "I'm not perfect like you, and I'm not nearly as intelligent-" 

"Don't say that, you know it's not true-" 

"So why in the world do you choose me? What about that woman you had once told me about? What about your wife?" 

"You know she's dead, and that other woman never mattered to me. Only you matter." 

"Then why do you only care deeply for me?" Somehow Ami felt hurt with this. "Why don't you love me instead?" 

"I…I-" 

"You don't know, do you? You can't answer any of my questions, can you?" 

"I can answer them. I just need time…I guess." He paused again. "This is the first time I've been uncertain about anything. But I do know that I want to be with you more than anyone I've ever met or ever will meet." 

At this point, Ami thought she should just give in to him. He was alluring, charming, and had an adequate amount of money. Of course, the money didn't matter. This man was perfect for her from what she could tell. 

She did what she thought she should do. "Okay." 

Giving up almost hurt her inside. She remembered she had promised Minako that she wouldn't do anything like this. Or …quite like this. Ami wondered if Minako would even know. And…what about Duo? 

Ami rested her hands back on top of the table, somewhere in the middle. Instantly Wufei's hands fell on top of hers, entwining his larger, masculine hands with her petit, feminine ones. Duo was just a boy; he wasn't the one for her. Ami had just met him anyways. No use in fretting over what was never going to be. 

"Want to come over to my apartment for the night?" 

Ami grunted playfully. "Let me call Minako." She reached for her phone, but Wufei's hand caught hers before it could get in the bag. 

"Come on. You don't need to call her." 

Ami felt herself giving into his chocolate eyes again. "Alright…fine." 

Wufei stood up. He knew he had won this time. And he knew his secrets would be safe for now, at least up till she won the mental battle between the two of them next time. 

He took two steps, offering his hand to her instantly without a second thought. Ami grabbed it, and stood up next to him. Wufei's arm snaked across her back after leaving her hand and rested on her opposite hip. 

Ami wanted to pull away from his grip. She was used to walking without an attachment. But she felt as if she had no other choice. She felt, to some extent, that she had an obligation to fulfill tonight. What that obligation might be, Ami had no idea. 

The two left the café, a few goodbyes exchanged between the couple and the workers. They drifted to his sleek black roadster BMW. Ami looked at him, searching his eyes for a moment. For once, Wufei wasn't masking his emotions, and she could see every emotion he produced. 

In his feverous russet eyes lurked an emotion Ami would have liked to not be there, desire. Wufei's gaze wasn't filled with the love and passion as she had wished. But in that instant, Ami had forgotten all that she had stood for. All she could see were his eyes, and all she could feel was his touch. That left her breathless with the same desire. 

The convertible had pulled out of the diner, leaving her car in the parking lot. They drove, slowly, to Wufei's apartment in silence. They didn't touch, but they were alive to each other's nearness and that's all Ami needed for the moment. 

Ami walked hand in hand with Wufei to the elevator after he parked in the downstairs garage that seemed all too familiar. The silver doors slid open for just the two of them, and they were once again alone. 

He put his arms around her as they waited to reach the top level. Wufei began kissing her, gently, his lips felt like they never touched her milky skin. His breath traveled over her face and throat, and his hands slid under her jacket. She felt herself being pulled towards his muscular body. 

As soon as he judged they were close enough and he was holding her tight enough, his soft, full lips pressed against hers. Shivers of delight rippled through her; she didn't want the kiss to end even though she knew what has happened was momentarily wrong. 

The elevator stopped, Wufei swung Ami's lithe body in his chiseled arms and carried her to his apartment, his lips still on hers. They sank together into the depths of his big brocade sofa, still lost in each other. 

He pulled back from her. "I love you Ami," he whispered in her ear softly, stroking back her tumbled hair. 

She hesitated only for a moment. "I love you, too." 

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**_URL LOCATED IN PROFILE_**

**If you are UNDER the age of fourteen I advise you DO NOT read the unedited version for the safety of _me_ and _you_ if your parents find out. The place that URL takes you is a place were lemons roam and Ami and Wufei nearly go over the edge. So there is your warning. If you're eleven and stupidly copy and paste the URL into your browser and read the damn thing, it is no longer my fault. (note: take out spaces in URL)**

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**_A.N.:_** Fini. It took me a while to work up enough courage to write a smut scene, but I did it, eventually. I'm very inexperienced in that type of crap, so if it sucked, then go cry to your fucking mom because I don't give a flying fuck!

If you think the lemon scene is wonderful, then tell me...because I'll love you forever. ^_~

For all of you wondering what the hell about Duo...I don't know. Sil asked me this and I replied with: "Like he'd find out." So *shrug* I don't know. The two obviously don't go all the way (for all of you who didn't read it, there's the ending for you), so maybe Ami isn't ready for Wufei? Or maybe she just doesn't want him anymore and she's feeling a little more attracted to Duo? But in the end, she'll end up with someone. That's all you get to know, for now, that is.

Next chapter will be focusing on Minako (if you haven't noticed it's basically been switching back and forth since chapter two). I have no clue as to what is going to happen, so the next chapter might take a while to come out too. I think it'll have more Trowa and Minako scenes than Heero and her. But you know which couple I'm partial to, so maybe I'm lying to you? lol ^_^;; Just uplifting the mood here. I might make the next chapter about Rei and Quatre? I know just about just as much as you do at the moment about the next chapter. But I'm thinking about court...

Or maybe not? I need to talk to **SILVER CALADAN** badly (so that means GET YOUR ASS ON THIS WEEKEND, I HAVE MONDAY AND TUESDAY OFF!). ^_^;; Ooohh, and email me. I get desperately bored sometimes. And I edit too *nods*...So if you are in need of someone to edit your crap really bad, email me and I'll get back to you. I might not edit for you because what you write would require years to edit so lmfao, I'm not for sure if I'll edit for you.....I'm indecisive about everything. Doesn't it sicken you?

ONE LAST THING (wow this is so fucking long, sorry y'all). I might make an email list as to when I update...or maybe authors notes to keep in touch with you guys (so you know when I update, or why I'm not updating). If you'd be interested in it, say so in your review and give me your email address, please! Some of you I might put on it automatically if I make one (because I love you so much).

That's all she wrote, Transcendent. 


	6. Already There

**_1 o'clock_** by: Transcendent.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**_A.N.:_** Wow. Four long months since an update! I'm SO fucking sorry that it's not even funny! What was I thinking in not updating in FOUR months? I'm not sure...but I know I was really lacking any inspiration for this story for a very long time.   
  
Well, anyways. Here it is! It's not long...at all. I'm sorry for that, but my inspiration is STILL running on dry. So, you'll have to make do with what you've been given! I'll try to update again in the next week or two.   
  
  
  
  
  
**Ashleigh-Kaiba:** Oh? REALLY? I'll be looking forward to that fic! ^__^ And yeah, you were right! Her internet was fucked up. Thanks for you review!  
  
**Optical Illusions:** Where have you gone off to? ;_;  
  
**SilverCaladan:** Hey, love! You didn't get to edit this one! *CRIES* But Alma did it for me. So, I'm good. School has been evil to us both. But alas, you're on vacation but you are online less? It doesn't seem fair. Well, here's the chapter, love! Hope you enjoy it.  
  
**Wishful Thinking2:** Hi buddy. I'm not too keen on Wufei, so maybe all that blabber you produced was just me trying to make him SEEM mean and all that shit, even though that's....how he is..... *cough* But, I will tell you that your review left me thinking about another odd twist in this already oddly twisted story of mine. Nice job. I'd go on and continue my reply to you, but I'm cold and I want to get this over with! Love you anyways (because you're Sil's friend!)  
  
**SVZ:** HI ANGEL! *HUGS* You do realize I left clues as to Ami/Wufei? But that's alright...you're dense. We can leave it at that ^__~ Remember that I'm experimenting with couples and some of them may not remain. Ami/Wufei will not always be. Maybe Ami/Duo or Ami/Heero. Minako/Heero, maybe. Minako/Trowa, maybe. Minako/Duo, maybe. There are too many couples out there to just choose one. Plus, Makoto is still out there! Can't forget her... :|  
  
**AznxAngel:** *makes gurgly baby noises back* I miss you... *tear*  
  
**Venus Of Love:** YES! MY GOD PEOPLE! I *HAVE* UPDATED! I've been hearing this a lot. It's like everyone is telling me this beforehand...and...yeah. Well, I continued. Do I get a cookie?   
  
**Tsubasa-chan:** WTF?! WHERE IS YOUR NICE NEW CHAPTER THAT I HAVE BEEN PATIENTLY WAITING FOR? I updated, so you must update. You hear me? YOU HEAR ME? Oh, and I guess you'll find out the stalker some other time...because Rei doesn't even make an appearance in this chapter. SO SAD. But she will! I promise ^__^  
  
**Heirel:** Hey buddy. Get off your ass and finish reading my story! *kicks*  
  
**Venus Smurf:** My, oh-my! I've gotten an approval review from VS. I feel so delighted. Actually, you should've seen my face when I found about 10 reviews in my inbox all **from you**. Well, I can't wait for your next updates! Thanks for reviewing (everything). 

  
  
  
  
  


**Dedication:** The good buddy **SilverCaladan** because I'm not sure there are any chapters in here which I haven't dedicated anything to. But I guess I'll dedicate this shit to **FairDrea**, **Almaseti** and dear li'l **SVZ** because I can.

  
  
  


**ALL STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY. IF YOU ARE DEPRESSED, SEEK THERAPY.**

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
**Chapter Six: Already There**   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
In the darkness of his office he watched as another body was found. Was this what he wanted? To play along with the game until he had complete control of his pawn?   
  
Yes, that is what he wanted. But not all of it. Time, that's all he needed…time.   
  
The man smiled sadistically. He was used to getting what he wanted; almost too used to it. But soon enough, his most lustful dreams would be complete. The goddess would be his.   
  
He would be complete.   
  
But complete as in how? Some would have thought he would be mourning over her death, the death of one he loved. But the others weren't crying.   
  
The only woman that had been as close to her as he had who would be crying at this moment would be the reticent, clever Mizuno Ami. The only woman to, maybe, match him intellectually. He liked that, of course. That's why at one point he had got her. He played her well, but discarded her as soon as another, more inanimate woman showed up.   
  
He wanted a woman equal to him in wits, but not wisdom. Ami was too smart to be played fully. That card would have to burn.   
  
The ill-tempered, yet well-natured news spokeswoman, Hino Rei wasn't what he wanted either. She was clever, but too cynical. She wouldn't give her life over to the one she loved unless she knew she loved them. For a fact, she would never know love if it hit her on her pretty little head.   
  
But what irritated him the most was that he had been caught in her seductive trap. Her extreme arrogance had caught him off guard; he was sure she didn't want him, so he went after her. He had caught on quickly, but he'd never forget.   
  
That was the only time he was played.   
  
The man's grin vanished. His tan skin darkened as shadows enveloped his face.   
  
The dark haired priestess would pay for that.   
  
The stoic, gregarious bartender, Makoto, had never been part of his game. He knew she had fawned over him for quite some time, but after the first week or two, she moved on. That's how it had always been with her. Besides, she wasn't feminine enough for him. Despite her well-developed body, luscious curves and ample-breasts, she had nothing. She couldn't give him anything at all.   
  
But that didn't mean she couldn't be played now. He had to remember all of these ladies were connected and would lead them right to his main target.   
  
He leaned back in his oversized leather chair and kicked his feet on the desk. He couldn't wait for the final puzzle pieces to be put in place to join the pieces already there.   
  
His secretary came through on the loud speakers, "Mr. A-"   
  
"Send it through." His steely voice cut her weaker one off before she could finish.   
  
His large hand touched the telephone and picked it up. He dismissed his earlier thoughts as a ominous smile replaced his last.   
  
"Good evening." It was a withered and weakened voice almost full of anxiety and turmoil.   
  
He repressed his laughter to respond, "Good evening, my fellow man. How are you this pleasant late afternoon?"   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
People started clearing out of the Hikawa shrine; it was well past midnight and day two after the body had been found. For some reason, Minako didn't want to leave like the others. She wanted to stay with her friend, perhaps one of the few that actually understood her situation.   
  
"Minako, go home," sympathy soaked through the words and almost stilted Minako's mind.   
  
She looked up from the once accompanied tree to her comrade. "I think I'll stay a bit longer, thanks."   
  
Trowa's eyes softened, but only for a moment. He shrugged and turned on his heal without another thought. He didn't even try to coax her further…   
  
Minako took a hand from her pocket, almost to stop him from leaving her. But she held back; she had remembered her purpose for staying here.   
  
"Drive safely, Barton." She sided with a warm warning.   
  
He lifted a hand up in response, casually dismissing her warning. "I know, Aino."   
  
For a fleeting moment she wanted to smile at his all-knowing demeanor. But she couldn't force the smile; her mouth was stuck on neutral.   
  
Minako turned her attention back to the lonely willow tree when she heard the sirens finally fade into the still calmness of the shrine. She leaned back on her feet, hoping to ease the aching pain her pumps produced. Her hands grabbed her jacket around her tighter as her eyes hovered over the blood soaked snow.   
  
Her head slowly rolled forward. Minako wanted to break down but she had to stay "the strong one" for her friends. She knew Rei was having her own problems, as was Makoto. Mamoru was most likely bawling on the floor of his lavished home that he and Usagi had once shared before the first murder. Minako knew Ami didn't know yet, but if she had her night would've been ruined. Just like the Tsukino's lives, all five of the inseparable friends would change.   
  
Minako solemnly wished that she had stayed in England. Maybe she would've up and killed herself before her father would even think of harming her friends.   
  
"Why did he have to go and kill Usagi?" she whispered to herself. The quietness and even tones from her voice eased her further into the darkest recesses of her once alive and active mind. She wanted to drown in the darkness of her inner mind and to just wallow in the pain she was feeling. But she had to stay strong for herself and for the others. She had to stay strong for Usagi.   
  
"He's been doing this for so long that I'm afraid he'll never get to me." Minako's eyes closed while she let herself submit to the holy sanctuary. "It hurts more to imagine what he could've done to all these girls then to have it done to myself."   
  
Slowly, Minako turned her back on the death site of her blonde companion. She remembered all the times that they had shared sundae's together and gone on double dates with whoever Minako was dating at the time. All of the sleepovers and gossip switching, the scary stories and the embarrassing ones. She remembered high school and college with the little bunny always ready to try new things while everyone else was tired and ill-mannered from their hasty lives. Minako remembered Mamoru and Usagi's marriage and the birth of little Chibi-Usa and she remembered the funeral of Rei's Grandpa were Usagi cried her tender heart out on Mamoru's shoulder.   
  
Her heart stiffened and she could no longer control her tears. "I'm already there, Dad. I'm already dead, thanks to you."   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**_A.N.:_** Is there anything anyone wants to see in this fic? I'm almost glad to do it...almost. If you provide a nice, fresh idea, I'll use it and credit you (of course). If not, then pfft, you'll get shit.   
  
Anyways, I was reading this earlier to try to get an idea of my mindset in writing this all (since it's been a LONG time) and I looked at one of the last chapters. It read, at the bottom: "15 today, Oct. 11". It made me realize that I was once 14!_ I had completely forgotten that I was young (and still am) and all that good stuff. It was almost a shock. But I'm fine with that. It just shows that I've been improving and that I haven't stayed at some constant. It also shows that I've learned new things with age...so *shrugs* I am **fine** with it.  
  
I guess that's it, folks. See you next chapter.   
  
**Transcendent, the almost-mighty.**  
  
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	7. Kiss Her Goodbye

**_1 o'clock_** by: Transcendent.

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**_A.N.:_** This time it was only three months so I must be getting better. But since the last chapter was a pathetic excuse for a real chapter, I made this one longer. There's even a cute scene in here that would make me disgusted if I wasn't the one to have written it...but oh well. Please keep in mind that (again) this isn't editted. My editer wasn't on when I felt like updating so I just posted. Hopefully I'll get around to editing it, right? Hehe... 

_About the formatting: it sucks. I like my white spaces but I don't think FFnet does. They've stripped them! ALL OF THEM! So now you get lines. Ugh... I can't believe my nice pretty format is all ruined because FFnet doesn't like me.   
  
Anyways, I'll try to start updating more regularly...school is going to be over soon so ...woho! _

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> **Dedication:** SilverCaladan, Almaseti, and SVZ. I'd dedicate it to Misty and Drea, but they don't read this!

**ALL STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY. IF YOU ARE A MURDERER, SEEK A JAIL.**

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> **Chapter Seven: Kiss Her Goodbye**

  
  
One Hino Rei left her office, ready to go home after another long day of work. She neatly organized her papers and files into separate stacks to be looked at by her secretary, Iria Winner. Her secretary had been with her for as long as Rei could remember, maybe seven years. Iria, disable after a car accident, had started working for Rei when she was just a new reporter for ACE11 News. Over the years, Rei had been promoted and raised many times to a leading anchorwoman with many adoring fans with Iria as her loyal secretary. It had been Iria who had introduced Rei to her fiancé, Quatre Winner: Iria's little brother. Since then, Rei was glad she had hired and kept her secretary, for without her…where would she be now?   
  
With Iria six years her senior, Rei felt comfortable going to her with her problems or confiding in her with personal things. But the death of Usagi had left Rei sheltered and she hadn't talked to Iria since late last night.   
  
She stood up from her desk, picking the papers from her desk to put in her briefcase. She lifted it up and put the files in her other arm. Swiftly, she walked out the door and set the files on Iria's desk.   
  
"Ms. Hino, you look much better than yesterday," Iria commented from behind her desk, stationed outside Rei's door. Her blond locks were pulled back into a tight bun at the back of her neck and her blue eyes sparkled behind fitted black rimmed glasses. Rei noticed that Iria always hid her body; today she wore a badly fitted black skirt suit.   
  
"Thanks. I'm sorry I haven't spoken to you all day," Rei apologized. "Usagi's death was just…a horror."   
  
Iria shook her head. "No need to be sorry, Mrs. Hino. I understand."   
  
"Call me Rei, Iria." If Iria wasn't going to accept her apology, she could at least call Rei by her first and given name. Rei had been telling Iria to call her by her first name since forever and Iria had always agreed. They'd call each other by their first names until Iria slowly started calling her 'Ms. Hino'. It annoyed Rei but she knew about the whole "stay on boss/employee relationship", but Iria was more than that to Rei. Iria was like Rei's bigger sister.   
  
A smile formed on the high cheek boned secretary's rose colored lips. "If you say so, Rei."   
  
"Well, I'm going to be heading home now. I'll tell Quatre you send him love."   
  
"Thanks. You two are so cute…" Iria loved that her brother had finally found love in none other than her cold-hearted but brilliantly beautiful boss. But his time with Rei and his job had left nearly no time for the two siblings to get together.   
  
"Don't work too late, Iria, and I'll see you tomorrow morning."   
  
"Night, boss."   
  
Iria saw a smile flicker on the anchorwoman's face as she walked out of the office. Ever since Rei's good friend, Usagi, had died…Rei hadn't been smiling much. Iria knew that Rei was much more affected by the sudden death than she let on. Rei's fragile heart had been tore into pieces and it was up to Quatre to tend to her broken core. It always was like that when a loved one had died.   
  
As tears blurred her vision, Iria remembered her many sisters. They had all moved on without her but she couldn't help remember all those times they had gone cruising for boys and gone skinny dipping in the Arabian Sea.   
  
"Too bad life goes on," Iria whispered to herself before picking up some of the work she had just been working on. As she started tearing open the envelope the phone rang. Expecting it to be a stranger, Iria picked it up immediately and cordially greeted the person on the other line.   
  
"Hello, you've reached the office of Hino Rei. She's currently unavailable, but I can most-definitely let her know you called."   
  
Her pleasant, almost robot-like response was matched with silence and a bit of static.   
  
"Anyone there?" Iria couldn't help herself from asking. Whoever was on the other line was either looking to talk to Rei directly and had hung up after realizing Rei wasn't there…or was pretending not to be on the other line.   
  
After more silence, Iria replaced the phone back on the hook. Again, she picked up the work she had begun.   
  
It was a letter addressed to Rei, like many others, and needed to be read over before Rei did. Each and every letter sent to her anchorwoman boss had to be read to make sure of Rei's mental safety. Most of the letters sent to Rei were just pleasant feedback or perhaps some negative feedback, but all of the perverted letters, death threats, and so on where sent to security to be looked over again in case of emergency.   
  
Lately, a lot of letters had been sent to Rei signed by "the Butcher". The character usually complained about Rei's outfit being too short, too low, or too flashy. Of course, none of the outfits Rei wore were picked out by her but this viewer obviously had missed that fact. The letters went on to describe what they'd do to her if she didn't stop wearing such "slutty" outfits.   
  
Rei was a beautiful, traditional Japanese woman. A long raven black mane and bangs framed her fine, flawless, ivory skinned face. Her exotic amethyst eyes glowed like tiger eyes in the dark. Rei's long neck only made her seem taller, as well as her nicely muscled, long legs and arms. Her hips were wide and curved, as well as her breasts which, from what Iria could tell, were fairly ample and generous.   
  
Rei usually wore a black and red ensemble seeing as those were her favorite colors. She'd have a tightly fitting, short skirt with a low-hanging blouse. Her jacket was just as tight and fitted to her curves like air. Sometimes her hair was pulled back, curled, or just wore down in all its lengthy glory.   
  
Iria pulled out the letter inside the envelope and read it to herself.

> _Dear Hino Rei, the beautiful flower amongst dead weeds in the garden of my dreams,   
  
I've been dreaming about you again, Rei. It's hard not to with that body of yours that you reveal so much of. Imagine stopping all of these fantasies of mine and of other men and just wear more appropriate things. Because if you don't I'll rip them off for you and you'll never wear anything else again.   
  
I'll feel your smooth, pearly white skin beneath my calloused hands and with those hands I'll penetrate your every being. I'll stick one, no…two, no… I'll stick my whole fist up your tiny cunt and make you orgasm until you black out.   
  
Then I'll stick my dick down your throat until I cum all over your faultless body just to see how elegant you'll still look. I'll take your cum in my mouth and wash you dry until I'm hard again. I'll use your damaged pussy as my new whole to fill you with my seed.   
  
You won't even know it, honey. After all, you are a slut just like that secretary of yours. Along with that blonde, brick house you often hang around with at the underground bar where your other, slutty friend works. Not to forget that blue haired, blue eyed whore friend of yours who can't decide which man to be with.   
  
I'll kill them all, one day, and you'll be sad that you didn't just mind what I said.   
  
With Love, the Butcher._

  
  
Shivers crawled down Iria's back. What a sick, perverted man. He can't get a life or a wife, obviously. Iria was disgusted and quickly tossed the letter into the pile to be sent to security. She wished they would catch him and fast. Who knows if he was talking lies or…the truth?   
  
The phone rang again and she picked it up, thankful to have someone to talk to.   
  
"Hello, you've reached the office of-"   
  
The voice over the phone cut her off, "-Hino Rei. Iria Winner, leave or die."   
  
"What?" Iria was shocked to the edge of her seat. She put a hand over her mouth to stifle any cries that might find their way to her mouth.   
  
"Leave or die, you heard what I said." The voice was rough, jagged and almost threatening. Whatever it was, it scared the shit out of Iria.   
  
The phone line soon thereafter died. She put the phone back and picked it up again to find no dialing tone. She replaced the phone and looked around the office.   
  
Iria cursed under her breath and felt heat come to her cheeks. Death wasn't something she wanted to look in the face twice; once was definitely enough for her. She fumbled through her things trying to find something that could be used in her defense.   
  
"Anything…anything…" she chanted, digging through her drawers and mounds of papers, pens, and other office utensils. "Oh God, please!" Her hands felt something cold and gripped it as if it were the last remaining thing on the planet. Scissors.   
  
Her fist tightened around the handle as she looked around. Iria didn't wonder if the person was just joking and was out for a good laugh. Even if she was making a fool out of herself right now, at least she could say she was trying to be safe. But what if the person wasn't lying? She didn't know…   
  
Her eyes burned and her lungs wheezed on a sudden exhale as the electricity dwindled. She shifted her watery gaze to the door handle; a sound that she took as the rattling of the door. Someone was trying to get in and fumbled with the keys.   
  
"Oh Lord…" Iria whispered. This was a nightmare. Had she committed some dreadful mistake in her past lifetime that she was now being returned? This couldn't be happening to her…   
  
Iria rushed over and grabbed her chair, pinning it against the door. She ran to the closet and grabbed her coat, throwing her hands in the pockets and pulling out her cell phone.   
  
She knew she hadn't charged it last night and hence left it off to save the energy incase of emergencies. This was what she'd call an emergency. Iria flipped it open and pushed the power button. Taking a few quick glances at the door, she waited for the logo to disappear and the display to take its place.   
  
She quickly dialed the first number to come into her head, Rei's. Iria dialed in the numbers with the impetus of light and listened to the ringing. The moments went by much like days did; long, strenuous as if they'd never end.   
  
The door jerked suddenly and the doorknob turned a few times. She realized that whoever was trying to get it knew there was something in the way. Iria managed to run away from the door and into to Rei's office. She raced to the corner trying to hide in the shadows after closing the door shut behind her.   
  
"Hino Rei here, what do you want?" The agitated voice of her employer wasn't an instant remedy to her panic. But she felt the need to be calm around the younger woman.   
  
"Rei, someone's trying to break in."   
  
This caught Rei's attention. "What do you mean? Why haven't you called the cops, Iria?" She rushed out her response and was soon to yell to her fiancé, "Quatre call the cops! God, just get someone over to the office!"   
  
Iria heard the door burst open, most likely broken from the hinges. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she heard more thumps: her computer being knocked over, papers flying, her computer being smashed into the ground.   
  
"Stay on the line, Iria, Quatre is calling headquarters right now. Don't worry, Iria, you'll be fine…I promise. Where is he now?"   
  
"He has broken into the main office. I could hear him destroying my desk and computer. He'll probably come here next…"   
  
"We're on our way, Iria. Please…hide somewhere."   
  
"There's no where to hide, Rei…God, I'm scared," Iria whimpered.   
  
"Sshh," Rei shushed her. "Stay quiet. Just listen to me talking…We're in the car now and Quatre says the cops are on their way."   
  
Iria, knowing Rei couldn't see her, nodded. She knew that Rei was wrong, she wouldn't live after this. The person breaking in knew Rei wasn't there and that she was. They wanted to kill her…they wanted her dead.   
  
"The Butcher," Iria whispered into the phone.   
  
Rei was fast to answer. "What?"   
  
"It's the Butcher, Rei. He's been sending you mail for over two months. He's threatened to kill us all and now he's going to do it…he's going to kill me, Rei."   
  
"No he's not. I will not let that bastard lay a fucking finger on you!" Rei yelled angrily into the phone. "Don't think like that! Why haven't you told me before?"   
  
"A lot of people send you mail just like it…and I never though…no one ever thought …oh God Rei. Tell Quatre I love him."   
  
The door to Rei's office burst open. A shadowed figure entered the room, an axe in hand.   
  
"Poor Iria," a husky, masculine voice sounded from the doorway.   
  
Iria desperately whispered into the mouthpiece of her cell phone, "Rei, please hurry…he's here."   
  
"Quatre GO! Hurry the fuck up; this is your SISTER! Fuck fuck fuck fuck!"   
  
"No one can save you now, Iria Winner. Not Rei, not Quatre, not Trowa, not Minako, not Ami…no one can save you, Iria. You've finally met your executioner."   
  
Iria stayed silent despite her adrenaline; her blood bumped fervidly and every time she exhaled her breath would get stuck in her throat. She silently prayed, wishing the best future not for herself…but for her brother and Rei.   
  
"Life is just a game, Iria, and you've lost."   
  
Life could not be a game against death. Someone would have to win someday because no one is unbeatable. But death isn't a person, it's a nightmare. A nightmare that Iria had to live through not once…but twice. Slipping into coma for three years wasn't her brand of fun. She could remember the feeling of sinking deeper into darkness until one day she was pulled up onto an island. But her hero wouldn't be there to rescue her this time. It was just her and death, the match of the century and a predestined ordeal. Iria would lose and with it would go her life.   
  
The shadow flipped on the lights to reveal a brawny, light haired man with eyes full of passion for his job; he was the messenger of death. Iria recognized this man but before his name could escape her lips a knife danced across her throat.   
  
"Iria, are you there? IRIA!"   
  
For the last night, Iria sank into the ocean of darkness slowly. Her pain slowly disappearing and her mind slowly slipping into a void of death and silence, she cried. His gloved hand reached down and wiped the single tear away.   
  
"Too bad you had to die like the others. You were actually quite beautiful."   
  
The man bent down, a rag in hand, and wiped down her throat. He placed his lips on hers and kissed them gently.   
  
"Soft lips wasted on a creature headed for death since the day she was born," he whispered. He let the blood spool out of her throat as if it was pretending to be waterfalls. He dampened the cloth and applied it to the wall. His message had to get across.   
  
Minako sat at her desk going over the information on Usagi's case. She had already gone over it several times but she had to make sure she hadn't missed important details. Anything missed could prove fatal and right now, if anything went wrong the dominos effect would take place. One more murder and Minako would collapse in mental anguish. She wouldn't have the energy to continue her work for a few days and it'd be left up to her workers and that wasn't fair. As much as she hated to say it, people needed her so she had to stay strong.   
  
A knock on the door awakened Minako from her revelations. She looked up to see the well-toned body of her partner-like-comrade, Trowa Barton. Earlier that day he had left her to think and she had thought he would've left her alone until the next day. One thing came to her mind: more trouble.   
  
"Mr. Barton?" she questioned, replacing Usagi's papers back into the clearly marked folder.   
  
"Hey," he answered. Trowa leaned against the doorframe, his dark brown hair shading his eyes. He watched Minako lean back in her chair, blonde tresses falling down the back of her chair. His eyes took up the way her chest raised when she gathered air in her lungs and how she closed and let it all out in one, long breath.   
  
"Today has been really long, Barton. What's wrong?" He watched her lips move and her tongue wet them down afterwards. Minako sniffed once and rested her arms across her chest.   
  
"No, Aino. What's wrong with you?"   
  
"What kind of question is that, hm?" she asked. Her dainty eyebrow over her right eye rose slightly in question.   
  
His hands found his pant pockets and his leg pulled over the other. "It's not polite to answer a question with another question."   
  
Minako huffed and tossed her head, trying to remove some loose bangs from her view. "I'm perfectly fine, Barton. Thanks anyways."   
  
After all the years he had spent with Aino Minako, he knew when she was 'fine' and when she wasn't. At this point, he knew that she was lying far more than she had ever planned on.   
  
"Lying isn't a solution, but thank you for trying."   
  
"Since when have you known me to tell you how I really feel, Barton?" A very right question.   
  
Trowa had only seen Minako cry once, for Usagi's death, for which she was now obviously still mourning over. "Minako, I'm concerned with you." He took a breath, much like she had earlier. "I've never seen you like this and I know it isn't healthy for you."   
  
She was close to giving in to his insistent implorations. But Minako knew that she couldn't. If she told him that Usagi had been her best friend for a good part of her life because she has having difficulties in school. She couldn't tell him about her childhood without any friends. Not to mention her first and second loves dying before her eyes… That her father had been trying to kill her for years and had instead taken up the hobby of killing other blonde haired, blue eyed girls…such as Usagi.   
  
Minako's life was too complicated to get another innocent person involved in the repercussions of life. She had been a mistake to her parents and now they wanted her gone. She could deal with that. But wanting her dead so much they would kill others? Other people that had families and lovers?   
  
She couldn't possibly imagine the look on Mamoru's face when he had to find out the love of his life had been killed. But to tell him that it was HER father that had killed Usagi? She could picture her father sneakily watching her now and what he would do if she told Trowa. He would probably kill him.   
  
He would probably end up killing everyone. One death had been enough for her…actually, it had been overwhelming. She could never go through Rei dying, or Makoto and Ami. Trowa had been there for her since they had met, but this time she just couldn't confide in him. Too many people knew already and she was thankful no one else knew.   
  
"It's nice to know you're concerned, Trowa," she smiled at him. As much as she liked to smile, she didn't do it much on duty and when she did it was like the sun coming up on Pluto; when she smiled it brightened everything and everyone.

Trowa shrugged. "Anytime."   
  
"I've got to get going. I think I've read over this case enough times…but you never know."   
  
Minako placed her pager on her belt around her petit waist once again and put her coat over her delicatee shoulders. She proceeded to pass Trowa in the doorway but stopped at the sound of his gruff voice.   
  
"Minako?"   
  
She turned on her heal and faced Trowa. "What?" She watched his eyes for a sign of emotion. Perhaps she'd fine concern, passion, maybe lust. But she watched for it even though it had never come before.   
  
It looked almost as if he had lost his words, something rare for Trowa. But he relaxed and said, smoothly, "I'm always here if you need me."   
  
Minako leaned in and brushed her plump lips on his. She felt Trowa's brawny arms encircle her waist as he slowly led her nimble body to his. Her head leaned on his buff chest and her graceful arms looped around his neck. He held her close, savoring the feeling of Minako's body pressed against his as he let his hands slip to the small of her back and his head rest close to hers.   
  
She put her lips against his ear and whispered, "and I'm always here for you." She let go of him and he let his arms come back to his pockets. Somehow, her breathing was a hard time coming normally and she had to force her breaths to be as silent as possible.   
  
Trowa's phone rang and he picked it up. "Barton here."   
  
A few moments went by. His hand traveled to her back again and his face darkened. "On my way."   
  
Minako needn't an explanation as Trowa pushed her in front of him towards the exit of the morgue. She only wished that it wasn't her father this time.   
  
Rei followed Quatre closely as they wound up the ACE11 News building to her office. At times her hands would find the back of his shirt and clasp it hard until they could proceed once more. She was scared to death; she loved Iria as if they were sisters and she couldn't possibly imagine Iria being gone as well as Usagi. But in her heart she knew Iria was long gone and so was her killer.   
  
Quatre walked into the door of her main office and checked around, gun ready to fire. He led her and the other officers to Rei's office and once again checked around. The only person there was Iria…dripping with her own cold blood, sitting in the corner of the office.   
  
An arm placed around Rei's torso kept her from running to Iria's lifeless body. She turned and wept in the open arms of her fiancé. "Quatre, I promised her everything would be okay."   
  
He let her cry, knowing of nothing else to do. "We won't let him get away."   
  
"I'll kill that bastard myself," she whispered. Rei's sobs took control of her body and she rocked with tremor after tremor. "I'll kill him with my own two hands. I'll rip his flesh as if he was just a book. I'll break his spine and send him where no man has ever gone."   
  
"I know, honey…" Quatre whispered in her ear. "He'll pay for what he has done."   
  
She growled, her anger boiling. "Oh will he pay…" She knew who had done it. She wouldn't hold back anymore. That man had killed too many people to even be able to walk on the planet, to be equal as if he were just as good as everyone else.   
  
Quatre stroked Rei's raven black hair softly and slowly, trying his best to calm her down. He had never seen her so angry in his life, but it was to be expected. Rei didn't handle emotions too well, and ones that required one to be something other than happy she'd treat them like anger and hatred. As much as he hated violence, Quatre knew that if he ever got his hands on Iria and Usagi's killers, he would kill them just as brutally as they had killed the two girls. Although he had a feeling they were the same, he would treat the person as if he were two; he would die twice in the name of those two women.   
  
"Captain, Chief Barton and Dr. Aino are here to see you."   
  
Rei lifted her head to see Minako holding back her tears. "I'm so sorry, Rei. I'm so sorry." She opened her arms, finally letting go of her barriers. Rei embraced her dear friend, letting her cry in her arms just like Quatre had let her earlier.   
  
"It's not your fault, Minako."   
  
Trowa watched as Minako cried into ACE11 News' anchorwoman, Hino Rei. He wondered why Minako would be apologizing but brushed it off. She was probably doing it out of courtesy, but why cry? He hadn't known Minako to cry for every little thing...   
  
Rei pulled back and put Minako's face in her hands. "It's okay, Minako. It's not your fault."   
  
No matter what Rei said, Minako still cried. Her father was the devil and he aimed to tear Minako apart. He would go through anyone to do it, even people totally uninvolved. As she cried, she looked at the wall, noticing a bloody message.   
  
She pointed to the wall opposite the body, shaking her head at Rei. "One Step Closer…he's one step closer, Rei. This can't be real…"   
  
In the other corner, Heero Yuy stood and watched Minako. She was less involved than she had let on but he knew that she was right. It had been her fault.   
  
Aino Minako should've been the one to die instead of Relena, instead of Tsukino Usagi, and instead of Iria Winner. It was his job now, to either kill her now or to keep her safe. A decision he wished he didn't have to make…

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**_A.N.:_** Longer than you expected, huh? This thing is fucking HUGE! Alright, I'm out. I'd say more but what's there to say? Finals are Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday...and I'm finally seeing Harry Potter today. The seniors left us last Friday and I almost cried...I had to walk in the pitch dark with Tia from Katie's house to my mom's car because she was lost. That sums it all up, eh?   
  
Not to mention my mom limiting my online to an hour a day. I'm already over...but I HAVE to get this thing up. Anyways...I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know if you'd like to be on my email list.   
  
With almost all the love in my puny, pathetic heart,   
  
**Transcendent, the almost-mighty.**

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**SVZ:** Hey darling. Yeah, I updated (and look, I'm doing it again!). I'm glad you're so happy and I'm thrilled that you think it's great. I always love your reviews; you know just how I like them, don't you, my little friend? Well, since I talk to you so much, I don't feel the need to respond to you ANYMORE! You've taken up enough room on this page anyways (since AINO is complaining). _

**Aino Yuy aka Usagi-Hater:** No problem; anytime I get the chance. And yes, I do think you'd be positively enthusiastic if you saw a nice email sitting in your inbox that tells you of my nice, sporadic updates. It's like a miracle, really, how that email could get to you. But, we won't get into that...shrugs If you're so bugged by it, dearest Aino, I shall take you off :) And no, **I'm not** telling you anything. Go back and read the context clues. That goes for **all of you**. But it's your problem if you don't see them...you just suck then. 

**Venus Of Love:** Hey chica :) Yes, everyday I update must be your lucky day (I'm sarcastic today, aren't I?). Thanks for the pleasant review, VOL-chan. 

**Jewels14:** lmfao Cool :D I know like four people from my school with my birthday. Maybe whatever month our parents had sex in, was like this high time for horniness? Sorry if I scared you, overactive brain... 

**Hiei Rules:** NICE TO HEAR FROM YOU! :D It's nice that I fuck. Because sex is the shit. Being a bitch, also, isn't as bad as you make it out to be. I'm proud to be a bitch :) Do I need to wear a nice sticker for you that says "PROUD TO BE A BITCH?". I haven't touched your story; it was too horrible for me to even begin criticizing. I realize no one is forcing me to read and review these abnormally incompetent stories, but I do it anyways. I deserve some kind of honorary medal...really. Second chances, yes! I've heard of those. I give them all the time; you're just too dense to see it or to even pay attention. If the stories in this section are so boring, shitty, old, and fucked...why do YOU post here, my dear? :) Another time, ma'am! 

**Summer Firefly:** I cannot display how happy I was after I read your review. But, I can try! Here would be me dancing around on the keyboard if it was possible not to break it: aljca;lk2jwd;lajdflkjadfjic jhgpjoihgjpdhjdfl;sjviueyhrjknv lk japoeiufr048uq0597rufiojcuxby9vc vjhp0dav98n30p5nuaf. .. ..... .. .......... How was that? Did you get my feelings through all of that jabber? :D Hope so! Well, I was hit with a sudden streak of inspiration. I wrote a little with this streak, but it didn't last long... SIGHS But I finished, didn't I? Yep. Oh, yeah...You may not want to decide on the couple just yet. I still have more relationships to develop! SO MANY POSSIBILITIES, SO LITTLE TIME! 'Til next review/chapter ;) 

**AznxAngel:** OMGGGGG. That's all you give me? BITCH! -- I'm expecting more next time, if you miss me oh-so-much. 

**SilverCaladan:** snorts back for you review so late Thanks for the unrefreshing, illiterate, stupid review. /END SARCASM! I know you had more to say than that, and I thank you for everything you say. bows You are like the ozone layer on this very earth I stand on: rare. Love you like I love you lol 

**Venus Smurf:** You never fail to surprise and inspire me with your reviews. I'd say more, but I'm near that point where you can't say anything but "thank you" and smile a smile you'll never smile as brightly again because the occasion is simple too once-in-a-lifetime. 

**Shinjin Chronicler:** Man, I've missed your reviews and ...stuff. Where the hell have you been? Yeah, that's right, this is going to be a nice response DISCIPLINING YOU! : You cannot just leave this section like that; we cannot be ditched! We only have so many of "us" and too many of "them" and you've disabled us further, you horrific person you! Now! I'm expecting you to 1) REREAD CHAPTER TWO! Doofus, I killed Relena! 2) Get your ass back in this section 2) Write despite what the imbeciles ..um...other authors are writing 3) Review nice and big like that again :D Hilde, Sally, Dorothy, Iria (Quatre's sister), and a whole bunch of others will be making appearances. There's actually such a minor character in SM that I'll be using that I can almost bet most of you won't know who he is. I plan on incorporating ANYONE and EVERYONE in this fic, darlin. :D You should know me like that, really.... glares 

**FairDrea:** Thank you a bunch for those reviews. You probably won't get around to reading this little note since you're still at like chapter five…but that's alright! I love you to pieces anyways! I loved your comments so much I could love them, too. I know you know me very well. But if you knew me so well, you'd understand that I have many tricks up my sleeves. "One thing I dont quite understand is how quickly we know who the key is to solving the murder cases." My answer is this: you don't know. You may think whomever is the key is…the key, but perhaps they aren't. "…maybe things are moving too fast…" I like fast. Besides, there's so much that's going to happen in this fic it'd be like 4000 chapters long if I didn't go fast. 

**ShadowStar21:** I appreciate your review but I'd appreciate it more if you would've left more for me to read. 

**WishfulThinking2:** Thanks a million. This chapter is obviously longer…so enjoy because I'll tell you know the next one won't be. I have patterns (not really). 

**eventidespirit:** Thanks for the compliments :D Especially the criticism. For the first bit: I'm a "young" teen and I'm writing this. If someone can't handle what is being written, they can just simple press 'exit'. I do warn people when something big is going to happen, like for the first sex scene (which I didn't...get around to...writing...eh) 

**Xtreme Nuisance:** Well, here you go! A nice, healthy, heaping chapter of 1 o'clock with more romance than I'm used to. 


	8. Empty Words

**_1 o'clock_**_ by: Transcendent._  
"I cannot love as I have loved, And yet I know not why;  
It is the one great woe of life To feel all feeling die."

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**_A.N.:_**_ Yeah, been a while __again_. But this thing is fucking **12** pages. IT'S FUCKING HUGE! Don't expect chapters this long _ever_ again because I have no clue what was going through my mind when I decided to write a 12 page chapter. Anyways, enjoy...God I hate Quickedit.  


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**Dedication:** FairDrea, my wife, because I literally tortured her poor mind and eyes with something. BIG HUG I love you and I'm sorry! I hope I made it all better for you :) Also, to Mirror's Image for reading the whole fucking thing (as did Drea!). Love you all lol

**ALL STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY. FUCKING IS NOT MAKING LOVE KTHX.**

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**Chapter Eight: Empty Words**  
  
The vision of her golden hair framing her heart shaped face only made him angrier. Her presence was one he despised beyond belief. Perhaps it was her personality; she was forever covering up her insecurities. She fought to maintain her smiles to conceal her true pain. Aino Minako was an enigma trapped in a maze where she was the only one who knew how to get out. He hated puzzles, as easy as they were to solve…some just were impossible and so was Minako. Her angelic features, although grim at times, only protruded a lie. She was a murderer behind that mask of deceit.  
  
Naturally, all accusations of being a killer, much like her father, would only push her further into her own lie. Minako knew what she had become but she wanted to believe the opposite and stay ignorant of her trickery. So the more she denied it, the more she believed it. The more she believed the deaths of Relena Darlian, Tsukino Usagi, and Iria Winner weren't her fault, the more dead ends he would find himself at. It'd be hard, after all of her confident denials, to find her guilty of something so vile. Even though she might be guilty, her blameless façade might have others believing differently.  
  
That was the cunning of her smiles and beauty. They held an image of innocence so desired that it left people with visions of a goddess. But people had to realize that even goddesses made mistakes that, eventually, could affect others. That was what Minako was doing, even if she didn't want to admit it. She had helped him before, maybe not killing, but she helped him remain "that killer" and not "Aino Kin". Maybe it was for her own safety and reputation that the killer she had been hunting down for so many months remain anonymous due to their unique relationship.  
  
Conceivably, she had nothing to do with these murders. She was just the helpless daughter of the killer, the woman who just happened to be connected to each woman by appearance. But no one knew she was the daughter. The ones who knew were too smart, too intelligent, and too astute to alert the press. For some reason, he felt Minako had purposely let these few know. They would keep her secret behind locked doors, their faces, and pretend the link was invisible. But could he do that? He had always followed through with his missions, killing brutally if required. His mission, this time, was to put the infamous killer Yokio somewhere unpleasant. Be it jail, prison, an asylum, or hell, Heero Yuy would get him there. He would do it no matter the cost. No matter how many people he hurt physically or emotionally, he would get his job done.  
  
In his eyes, Minako was just as dangerous as her father. Perhaps she was following in his footsteps, but taking an alternative route. She was pulling so many people into her deceit and they were all wandering around helplessly. She would lead them down dead ends and mazes in the maze she had created, giggling at their despair. Heero didn't know what she planned on doing with them in the end, but he pictured many more people ending up like Relena, a woman he was supposed to be protecting right now but couldn't because of Minako. He had failed a mission because of _her_.  
  
He figured that if he proved that Minako was guilty of those three fatalities, at least, he could sleep easy at night. It wasn't his fault…it was not. Even if that seemed like denial, the same denial Minako put herself through, Heero was not totally responsible for Relena's death. She was the one who got herself into it; she had begged for years to be given some sort of break, freedom for a night. It wasn't his fault that when she got the freedom, despite the bodyguards around her, she got herself killed by a notorious murderer. Even though she was put under his care and even though he knew he was wrong in letting her go out, it couldn't possibly be his fault.  
  
But somehow, the guilt inside him was a little too much for his own comfort level. That's why he took on this second task, partially to avenge Relena's death and partially to avenge his own failure. He would kill what had killed his perfection. In this case, it was two people, Aino Minako, Chief Coroner, and her father Aino Kin, serial killer. The worst part about this revenge deal was that Heero didn't feel it was the right move. He could kill her and sleep easy knowing his perfection had been saved but fall down another void of emotions called "guilt" and "remorse" because he could have, potentially, killed someone innocent. That fact alone could make him like "Yokio" … and he hated Yokio more than he hated Minako.  
  
He watched the blinking light of her answering machine from the shadows of her room. As much as he wanted to just listen to the messages by himself, the evidence could be proven faulty in court if he decided not to kill her. Besides, Heero was cautious and that was the soul purpose as to why he had been hiding in her abandoned apartment for three hours, waiting for her to check the damn machine herself. The messages had evidence…he had to get the evidence. He had to know if she was a ruthless monster just like her father.  
  
The click of heels in the hallway stopped in front of the door. Heero pulled up his gun, ready for anyone and anything, particularly Minako and her whimsical self. Always trying to hide her emotions and covering her knowledge with confusion, had gotten her no where but here, soon to face the bullet loaded in his gun. Her figure, clad in tight jeans and a white sweater, entered the living room, kicking off her high heeled shoes and trotting to her answering machine. He knew she would come to check her messages manually eventually.  
  
He was slightly disturbed by her ignorance to his presence, though. If she was such a slick and mysterious woman, wouldn't she feel him or see him? What would've happen if it was Aino Kin in her room and not Heero? She would've been dead already, lying on her living room floor in cold blood. Slightly angered, he watched her closer, watching for signs of acknowledgement, hoping she had already noticed him. Even if she was Yokio's accomplice, there wasn't any reason beyond the fact that he wouldn't and couldn't kill her. All the other girls had similar qualities to hers; he could just as easily pick her as a target and forget the camaraderie and affiliation.  
  
Disgusted, Heero wondered…wasn't he planning, much like Aino Kin might've in his position, to kill Minako? Sneaking into her house with means to kill her, a gun, and a motive, revenge, could have just as easily slipped into Yokio's mind, too. Of course, the motives could possibly be different. But what had he, just a week ago, interrupted in this very same room? What had he overheard? She hadn't followed through with something for him. Maybe it was evidence that would've pointed the police and FBI to Aino Kin. What a shame, Heero thought, a merciless killer was scared, a disgrace.  
  
Heero knew, though, that his reason for killing Minako was much more legit; Minako was the cause of so much grief, so many deaths and he knew if she was dead, it'd all end. He didn't know for sure but it was instinct. Aino Kin was playing a game where he wanted to control his pawns. But possibly, was there another way to end this game other than killing a fallen angel? The only way around that would be to kill Aino Kin himself but Heero had grown to respecting the man despite the cowardice. He had been smart and skilled enough to kill seven women with no accusation, not even a thought to his innocence. No one had ever suspected a thing from this supposedly rich, handsome, and elegant man. Heero Yuy respected his deception but all it was were lowly acts of pure idiocy and for that he would have to be punished.  
  
He turned to watch Minako push hair out of her vision as she pressed the "play back" button on the machine. She placed her coat gently to the side, ignoring the jacket hooks in the hallway. Listening intently, Heero watched her sit down at the counter and take out a glass from the cabinet and a bottle of wine from the refrigerator. "You have three new messages. First message received on December 20th at four forty three in the morning." The automated voice was cut off as another voice replaced it.  
  
The voice sounded, at first, a bit murky. Low, uneven tones belonging to an older male, Heero calculated. "Hey, baby, it's your loving and caring father. I just was calling to check up on you but was surprised to be answered by this fucking machine. Where the fuck did you go off to, m'dear? We have unfinished business."  
  
His eyes shifted from the machine to Minako who quickly downed the contents of her newly filled glass. Heero watched her body language for a sign of discomfort, a sign that would show him she was uninvolved or that she was, indeed, a killer just like him. But he got no such response as she picked up the wine bottle and filled her glass once more. The red liquid of the wine was as dark as the blood Heero remembered seeing at Relena and Usagi's death sites. How could she drink something that resembled blood so easily? She couldn't possibly be that armored—as shielded—as him. There couldn't be someone as callous as Heero Yuy.  
  
"I'm sure you've already figured it all out, darling, but if you haven't I won't ruin it for that pretty little, blonde head of yours," the voice of her father continued, gaining volume and humor in his silky, English voice. Kin chuckled a bit before continuing again, "I'm sure many things went through your head when you saw Usagi's naked, dead body. How could I do such a horrible thing? Well I'll tell you right now: it wasn't hard! It's time for me to hit the sack. I hope to see you soon, m'precious."  
  
Heero shook his head, shaking all of his doubts far away from his rational reasoning. Aino Minako would have to die and that was the end of the story. With evidence such as that, how could one not interpret it as a killer wanting his accomplice to meet somewhere for another kill? Aino Kin had been civil while speaking and very open as if he talked to her every day about such horrid things. Although he knew that Usagi's murder had been done alone, or so Minako had suggested, but there would always be the possibility of an accomplice. No stone would be left unturned, Heero thought. Every break would have to be looked at carefully and only ruled out if the idea was utterly absurd. The prospect that Minako was Kin's collaborator could be likely and thus shouldn't be ruled out.  
  
Minako took another sip of her red wine, sighing deeply and closing her eyes. Heero briefly wondered what she was thinking about. Was she sick of killing people? Was she tired of seeing all of the blood? What about the screams and their faces just as they died? Those same faces haunted him in nightmares but that was because he was a very guilty man. But the people he killed weren't innocent like Relena, Tsukino Usagi, and Iria.  
  
In a flash, Heero made up his mind. He rushed from his hiding spot, leaping to stand behind the blonde beauty. In seconds, his gun was pressed against the back of her head. The funny thing was that she wasn't surprised; Heero never saw her tense. Heero fought the urge to gun her down right then and there but he wanted answers and he wanted to torture her.  
  
"You're a murderer," he accused, coldly. She didn't dare turn around but shrugged as she took another sip of her wine, the last drop left. He watched her set the glass back down and tuck strands of hair behind her ear. Heero couldn't help but notice the large crystal, sparkling diamonds decorating her delicate ear or the gold band on the index finger she had used.  
  
Heero had completely forgotten to second guess her until her hand eased back onto the countertop. She could have easily turned to grip his gun and pull it away from her exposed head. But he wasn't even thinking about it! This enraged him; he was thinking about her damn jewelry instead. The emotion, though, dispatched when he heard her voice.  
  
"I could say the same about you if you kill me." It was true, a rightful retort but only if she wasn't a murderer. Only if Minako hadn't killed anyone could that statement actually be proven correct. So far, the odds were dangerously against her. Why did she deny it? She couldn't be innocent…Minako was a danger to society and a danger to his perfection.  
  
The answering machine continued playing in the background, the automated voice oblivious to the happenings in the room. "Next new message left today at eleven fifty nine in the morning."  
  
This time, replacing the voice of the female recording was the voice of a soft, worried man. "Hey Minako, it's Chiba Mamoru, it's been a while since we've talked. I've been thinking a lot since my wife died and I'd like to know what you think happened. I'd be honored if you'd meet me at my office at six tonight to talk over dinner at jinkusu-za, the place Makoto owns. I hope to see you there, if not don't worry, my assistant will be accompanying me."  
  
Heero restrained a snort and dug the gun into her hair. The muzzle roughly impacted the back of her head and he could picture her sneering. Who the fuck would want to hear the opinion of a murderer? Minako signed heavily and calmly, despite his rude and forceful behavior, and answered the question on his mind as if she knew how his brain operated.  
  
"That was Usagi's husband—she chose not to take his last name. He must be lonely without her but then again, so am I and we haven't gone out together since we were 18." What did he hear in her voice? Sorrow, angst…uncertainty. She turned the machine off and leaned over the counter a bit. Heero never let the gun leave the back of her head. "If you came here to kill me, go ahead. I'm not stopping you and no one else is either. I haven't killed anyone but in a way…I suppose I have and I'm sorry. I never wanted him to kill anyone and I never will. Believe what you want, Heero Yuy."  
  
Why would she fight in her own defense if she, herself, thinks she's guilty? Why should she say sorry to _him_? What about the families of those girls, the kids, the parents, the grandparents, brothers, sisters, and friends that had been left behind? He disregarded the fact that she hadn't seen his face but knew who was behind her. He had too many other, more important things to think about. He had disregarded those same questions when it came down to his own past but this was different. This was Aino Minako. Suddenly, he remembered there was one last message. "Play the last one."  
  
Minako sighed and pressed the button again. She folded her arms around her torso and waited patiently. What was she thinking about? Heero regretted standing behind her; he couldn't read her eyes from the back of her head and he certainly couldn't read her face, either. Since when had he become so reckless? Then again, he knew he didn't want to see her face; even the smallest, deliberate smile could persuade him a way he didn't want to be. At least this way, he wouldn't see her face if he shot her and he could pick up things from her voice, a much easier method in picking out the lies from the truth.  
  
"Last new message sent today at one fifteen in the afternoon."  
  
The same, demanding voice from the first message hollered from the box. "WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU, MINAKO? STOP HIDING, YOU FUCKING WHORE, BECAUSE I WILL FIND YOU, PATHETIC BITCH. YOU'RE A SAD EXCUSE FOR A DAUGHTER; I CAN'T WAIT TO KILL YOU."  
  
The arm holding the gun to the back of her head fell to his side. If Kin was her partner, he wouldn't be angry with her for not responding to his calls. He would know where she was at all times and she would know where he was. In his mind, Heero could remember her frightened face the day he had first saw her. He remembered her grief stricken features when she had looked at Usagi's body. Minako had been suckered into helping him; she wasn't doing it for her own gain. Aino Minako was scared of her father and Aino knew it.  
  
All this time, Heero had been focusing his accusations at the wrong person. He had been _wrong_. Aino Kin had been killing those girls to scare Minako and to make her do his biddings. Kin was a sick motherfucker; all he wanted was to see his daughter cry. He wanted to see her in pain and in grief. Most of all, he wanted to see Minako be driven nuts knowing that she'd never be "next". Kin wanted to push her over the edge.  
  
Heero cursed at himself and his ignorance. How could he not have seen it? That's why all of the girls looked just like Minako. It was like looking into a fucking mirror for her, it was a never ending nightmare that would someday, Kin hoped, destroy her from the inside. Kin was just a damn genius with an eye for tearing people apart. He was psychotic and that disgruntled Heero even more. Even if Kin's pattern was obviously pointing at Minako, it wasn't likely he would actually murder her, at least not in the physical sense. Kin was trying to mentally kill her but, by all means, that didn't mean he wouldn't change his mind. His previous message professed that he would and could brutally slaughter her like he had the other girls.  
  
Perhaps Minako's denial all along had been about her _being the next victim_. Maybe all she wanted was to be his next and **last** victim. She had said that it was her fault since her father was trying to disrupt her and it was true. Possibly, Heero had actually been right. All he had to do was kill her and the game would be over. Aino Kin would have nothing left to torture if Minako was dead but his own silly persona. They were all pawns in his chess game but Heero had the chance to be the guy who beat the master.  
  
But he couldn't take it. It would be like killing Relena Peacecraft; he would be failing a mission he had assigned himself. Heero had vowed to keep Relena safe from fruity, fatuous, mental, belligerent, idiotic, aberrant bastards like Kin and he had failed miserably. Like he had thought before, this was the second chance to prove his worth.  
  
"I need a ride," she said, almost weakly. Minako had finally turned around, leaning her back on the counter. Her eyes were slightly bloodshot, most likely from being sleep deprived, and she had a small smile on her docile face. Fatigued or not, Minako looked exactly the same from the first time he had met her: she had an air of feisty buoyancy that could scare people away much like his insolent stare could.  
  
He watched Minako search his face for a moment before moving to put her shoes back on. She lifted her coat from the counter as he shifted the gun back into its holder at his waist. He wondered if she had read his face like he read hers. Could she possibly be able to see his emotions? He ruled it out just as fast as it had come to mind as he opened the door for her.  
  
He couldn't subside the feeling that Minako was in danger. Before he left, Heero pulled out his gun and shot the tape in the answering machine. No one else should be given the privilege of hearing that tape and accusing Minako of something she couldn't have possibly done. He wouldn't give them the satisfaction. If anyone would be given the chance to kill, harm, mane, harass, or stalk Aino Minako, it would be him. Anyone else would have to face the gun that would be doing the killing and injuring. God bless those poor, pathetically moronic souls.  
  
Together, they walked for the second time down the hall and into the elevator but, this time, in total silence. Heero spent his time, during this still duration, studying the crafty woman. Her small, high-heeled feet touched down in long, powerful, and full strides that accommodated her long, slender, and toned legs clad in expensive, blue jeans that snuggly fit the curves of her legs, wide hips, and enticingly plump ass. Somehow her walk was full of confidence and reminded him of a general; it was powerful, long, carried importance, and screamed to be watched. Her hips curved into a flat stomach, most likely rippled with slight muscles, and sloped into the perfect, pert breasts. Her shoulders were narrow and her arms and neck were slender, fitting the heart shaped face she adorned exquisitely with light make-up.  
  
Somehow, her body seemed fitting to her personality. Minako was loud and demanded attention much like the curves of her hips and ample breasts. She was loyally stubborn and opinioned just as her gaze was faithful to her emotions. Her wit was only matched to the brightness of her hair and her double personas were like the contrast of her light skin to her dark blue orbs. But perhaps, Heero thought, that was only one side to her. She could be equally cheery and gloomy and it led one to question; which was really her?  
  
As the doors to the elevator whined shut, Heero watched Minako lean in the corner of the small compartment and close her eyes. On her face was painted, as clearly as stars to the sky, a chain of emotions. Emotions in which she intended to show Heero; they were simple things like stress and worry but every now and then, he could see the corners of her lips twitch downward. Minako was doubtful of herself and her actions and no matter how confident her steps were, she was just an ordinary person.  
  
A loud ping reminded the opposites of their arrival on the parking level. The doors slid open and Heero stepped out of the elevator, placing his hands momentarily in his pockets as he led Minako to his black Porsche for the second time. From his pocket, he took out his keys and pressed both buttons to disable the alarm and unlock the doors. The tapping of her heels on the concrete was constant and in rhythm with his own steps; they reached their sides at the same time.  
  
Minako stepped into the feline-like vehicle with ease and shut her door. She rearranged herself, tucking her hair behind her and placing a purse Heero hadn't noticed before in her lap, before fastening her seatbelt. "I hope I'm not inconveniencing you, Mr. Yuy." Her tones were even, calm, and somewhat soft. Heero didn't see her look at him, either.  
  
It wasn't directed at him, really, obviously, so he decided not to answer. She was only trying to be polite and possibly trying to break the composed silence. Heero pulled his seatbelt over himself and jammed it into its base with a reasonable click. With the same fluid motion, he inserted his key into the ignition, stepping on the clutch while turning the key. He looked backwards quickly to check for any other cars or pedestrians before backing out of the parking stall and replacing the clutch to first.  
  
Swiftly, he made his way out onto the busy streets of Tokyo and managed to miss most of the red lights by speeding past all the cars going slower than he was. To his side, Minako leaned back in the seat and sighed, watching many passing buildings out the window. She seemed to be thinking, deeply, about something rather important and Heero had to clue as to what. Somehow, Heero felt like he had no answers from her. All he knew from his excursion was that she was somewhat innocent and somehow in danger. One thing still threatened his mind.  
  
"What are you going to do about him?" he asked, gruffly, while shifting into fifth gear. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched her reallocate in her seat again to look at him with steady blues. Her lips pursed for a moment while she thought.  
  
Slowly, she shrugged and leaned back in the chair again. "I'm not sure. He…is my father, after all. He has a few battles he has to fight, with himself that is, and I guess I'm just one of the many wars he has created to focus on something besides himself." Her eyes returned to look out the passenger window. She rested her head on the glass and inhaled more air, letting it out loudly. "I wish I could just kill him. I should, really. He deserves it."  
  
Heero took the last turn, thinking about her words and the whole situation. He wanted to believe her story, her innocence, but it couldn't be real. Why would her father do such a horrible thing? Why would he kill others to simply hurt his daughter? The idea was nearly unpalatable and almost implausible. Heero would have to keep an eye on her for two reasons. One, to make sure her father doesn't kill her and two, to make sure she wasn't lying…

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Sally Po sank into the depths of the big hotel bed, still lost in her man and his tender kisses. She was addicted to his calm certainty. He was rough around the edges but still a diamond in her eyes; she would hold onto him until the day she died. No matter what would separate them, Sally knew that he would come back to her. Nothing could keep him from her, not even a blue haired doctor whom he valued above almost all else…besides her. It wasn't a problem though; she wasn't even half the woman Sally was.  
  
He finally stopped kissing her and stroked back her tumbled brunette locks. His dark chocolate eyes looked questioningly into her hers and she smiled. She desired his every being. She had missed his scent, cinnamon and vanilla, his lustful, intense gaze, and most of all his stern grip and devoted hands. This man made her feel like she was dreaming each and every time she saw him, breathed in his scent, and every time their eyes or lips locked. Her bed was heaven in his arms and she'd die ten times to be anywhere with him at any given time. He was her everything.   
  
They were in a world of their own where only they existed together. His hands reached to the buttons on her blouse, slowly and carefully moving the material from the button to reveal the milky skin of her breasts hidden behind a white bra. His lips melded onto hers as his calloused hands brushed her sides, journeying to her back to unclasp the once dutiful material.  
  
Even though she was a harsh woman, always commanding and expecting the best, her lover had a way of melting everything she had once known into a puddle underneath her. She felt bare in front of him, lost in his russet gaze. Some would say Sally was at a point where she was obsessed with him, addicted to his every word. But Sally only saw her love and their future together.  
  
His warm hands brushed over her breasts to massage the muscles of her stomach and stroke her hips softly. He searched for the zipper to her skirt as he leaned upwards to seal her mouth for a moment before going back to her skirt. Every time their lips met and their eyes locked she felt unbelievably calm. She didn't know how he felt about her but she hoped and prayed to the Gods that he loved her as much as she loved him; even half would make her happy. If he didn't love her, though, he was very good at making her believe he did. All of the moments in bed and out of bed they shared had to be real.  
  
He unzipped, slowly as he did with her blouse, and then pulled the skirt from her body down her legs. Tossing it to the side, his hands roamed her legs, kissing each lovingly from hip to toes, hands stroking her inner and outer thighs. Finally, his hands latched to band to her panties and pulled. Once the nuisance of the last piece of cloth keeping him from her was tossed to the side, he hungrily kissing first her throat and then her breasts until it felt their bodies were permanently one.  
  
He put his hands under her, lifting her body to his mouth, drinking her in until she trembled, moaned, and gasped for mercy. She felt as if she was in heaven with the man she loved desperately. Sally was in love with this man and she would never give him up.  
  
Her hand touched his lips and then his soft cheek. She cradled his head in her hand for a moment before moving to expertly yanking his tie off and unbuttoning his formal, white shirt. Her lips touched his neck, dropping down to his collarbone while her hands slowly pushed his shirt from his shoulders. His hands found her back, softly massaging. She loved this man like no other woman could. Steady hands unbuckled his belt and pushed his pants and briefs from his body. Hands roamed from chiseled chest to muscled thighs. They kissed, fiercer than before, with equal passion and lust. And only then did he enter her.  
  
He was a hard lover, demanding more from her than she had ever known she had to offer. Sally's long, powerful legs wrapped tightly around him, reaching for the almost unattainable peak of desire again and again; she wanted him so much and every time they were in each other's embrace Sally wanted to stay there. No matter how much he confused her she would always love him the same.  
  
A long time afterward, they finally lay silent and spent, tremors like aftershocks rippling through their bodies. Bodies entwined, he nuzzled his face in her hair, smelling its sweet scent of lavender. Her hands were locked into his sleek, jet black hair now undone and falling into his face to obscure his handsome features. Sally was a lucky woman.  
  
But what if he was lying about his feelings for her? What if he was this very same way with his "other girl"? She had permitted him to stay with her as long as nothing happened and that he absolutely swore he didn't love her. But she still knew that he had something for her, something akin to love, because he had come back to her after leaving. Last time he had left Sally, she was the one who had wanted them together again…  
  
Lovingly, he looked into her eyes and smiled as the phone rang steadily. She grabbed onto his hands as she sat up, not wanting him to answer it. He shook his head and picked it up anyways. Why did he always have to do the things she didn't want him to? Why must he debate with everything she said…ask her questions he couldn't answer…?  
  
She sat, pulling fabricated hotel covers over her body. Sally leaned back on the headboard and sighed, loudly. Her heart was beating fast but not because of her excitement. She was scared she was wrong about his feelings.  
  
On the other line, a quiet voice asked, "Wufei, is that you?" The woman sounded surprised, as if they hadn't expected an answer.  
  
Sally watched him slide away from her to the edge of the bed, his back facing her. She curled up more, rocking back and forth. The only thought running through her mind was about the other woman.  
  
"Ami…how did you get this number?" he restrained his voice from shaking. Wufei was nervous. He had a woman in bed, one he did care for, and the other woman he felt deeply connected with on the phone. Anything could go wrong…  
  
He heard the doctor on the other side of the phone take a deep breath. "Hypothetically…what if I were," she paused briefly, "pregnant?"  
  
Wufei's back stiffened and his eyes widened. In his ear he could hear a faint ringing before he remembered to breathe. His hand went to his forehead and he closed his eyes for a second. "You can't be." Another breath, he continued, "it's not possible, Ami."  
  
She frowned and held back tears. "Hypothetically, Wufei; I'm just asking. What would you do if…you know, I was? What if the condom had broken…and –"  
  
"Ami, no. I don't want to hear another silly notion like that from you ever again. We're always cautious! I know we are." His rough tone only made Ami disheartened but also more aggressive.  
  
"Wufei listen to me. I'm not saying I am…" Before she spoke again she paused and took another deep breath to sustain confidence. "I'm just asking what you would do! Would you be a good father to our child? Would you support us and love him with all of your heart?"  
  
He slouched, shaking his head. Ami could not be pregnant; they were too careful. He always bought the best, most reliable condoms and they would always check to make sure it hadn't torn or if he had leaked into her. Even if they had the smallest doubt, Wufei would take her to a pharmacy and have her take one of those "morning-after-pills" people praised so highly. She couldn't be pregnant…  
  
But what if she was? Wufei didn't want a child. He wasn't fond of kids at all. In fact, he hated children. They were obnoxious, unaware, and arrogant. Children always thought they were better, stronger, faster, tougher, and smarter than adults…and it was almost always false. He couldn't handle a little two year old girl asking him what the fuck sex was. He was never going to have children. Even if he did, it wouldn't be with Ami. Hell, if he could find a woman he would enjoy having a child with…  
  
Before he could answer, Sally came up behind him, putting her arms around his neck. She kissed his cheek greedily before asking, "What's wrong, honey?" Her voice sounded half jealous that he had turned away from her and half lustful; she was still horny and she wanted her turn. Too bad, she'd have to wait.  
  
On the other line, however, Ami had heard differently. She had always had a feeling she wasn't his only desire but knowing the truth hurt more than assuming. "I understand," she whispered. She forgot the possibility that he couldn't hear her. "Wufei Chang, I hope you rot in hell."  
  
She slammed the phone down, raw emotion obscuring her features. Her hands went to her mouth and she tried to suppress her sobs. She had expected it, hadn't she? Isn't that why she had called? Ami knew, deep down, that Wufei was seeing someone else. All the nights far away and all the nights he didn't call when he **was** near. Her heart missed beats all the same, though.  
  
Muscular arms wrapped around Ami's upper body, pulling her into a warm embrace. She turned, burying her head into an open shoulder. Her voice was weak but she managed to say, in between sobs, that she had been right. "Thank you for the number."  
  
Duo stood, his hand petting her soft hair, sighing. His heart ached for her and he felt compelled to cry with her. He wanted to share her pain to perhaps ease it for her. But there wasn't much he could do now but keep her in his arms and tell her she would be alright. Ami was strong and what he said was true…but it would take a lot to weasel into her heart again.  
  
"Duo, where's Minako?" her anxiety and request surprised him. Even through her grief she managed to worry about her friends. It made him smile but the fact that Heero had told him he was going to kill her made him want to shrivel into a corner and die. Minako's death would send Ami's heart into a million more pieces.  
  
So he had to lie. "Uhh…I don't know." He grinned briefly, running his thumbs across her tears to dry her cheeks. "Want me to go find her?" Even if he looked though, he didn't think he would find her…but perhaps the thought would make her smile despite her tears.  
  
She nodded, pulling away from him to sit down at her desk. Her head fell into her hands and she tried stifling more tears. "That would be wonderful. Besides, I kind of feel like being alone for a few minutes…"  
  
"No problem, babe." He winced at his own words. What was he doing calling her 'babe' in her emotional state? Even though the word didn't seem to affect her yet…he didn't know what was going on inside her head. "I'll be back in a few."  
  
Ignoring any hints she had sent him, he walked over to her and hugged her briefly. He whispered in her ear, "You'll be fine, Ami. I know you're strong and I know you'll get over this." He kissed the back of her head and picked up his car keys. "I promise."  
  
Duo left, leaving Ami to herself. He wished he didn't have to. At the same time, he wanted to respect her request. He still worried, though. Being a doctor, he was sure as hell she had access to all sorts of pills that could lead her to death. He couldn't let her do that. At the same time, however, he knew Ami was too smart to do that.

* * *

She had watched Elizabeth Rachel Une, preferred to be called Elizabeth by Mamoru and _**Madame**_ Une to Minako, deliberately send drink after drink to him. Really, she wanted to gag because it was so obvious _**Madame**_ Une was practically in love with Mamoru while he hadn't a feeling for her. Minako smiled to herself at the situation. It was rather hilarious to watch Une flirt with him while he was piss drunk. In other words, the only thing Une would find herself in…was a car ride home.  
  
But, on the other hand, she could possibly get him into bed. That, too, was a funny prospect. Did Une really think that drinking him up for a night and jumping in his pants would start a relationship with a man who had just lost his wife? Mamoru loved Usagi too much to fall in love right after her murder. Was Une blind to that fact or was she being ignorant?  
  
Minako rested her head on her hand, taking a small sip of wine before smiling at Une. "What drink are you going to send him, now? I think he's had just about everything."  
  
Une's excuse was that he just _had_ to try every drink in the restaurant. Mamoru had refused, at first, but when she had the first few drinks sent…he couldn't get himself to stop. It made her wonder if Mamoru had an alcohol problem and if Usagi had ever known about it.  
  
"Minako, you can leave now," Une bellowed, drunk as well. "I don't think my Mamoru has any other use for you but to look at. But he's only looking at me now." With a wink, Une raised her drink to her idiocy and gulped down the tequila.  
  
Minako laughed not only at how stupidly Une was talking but also because of the irony of the situation; Mamoru STILL wasn't looking at her. "Whatever makes you happiest, Madame. I was just about to excuse myself…"  
  
Grabbing her coat and taking the last sip of wine, she smiled at Mamoru and hugged him. She ignored the glares from Une. It was as if she was literally asking Minako to drape herself on Mamoru and see if he would take her; her glare was challenging her. Minako knew better than to fool with drunken people. "It was nice seeing you again, Mamoru. Call me when you want to go out again."  
  
He nodded, making Minako wonder if he was coherent or just twitching. She shrugged it off, walking away anyways. She smiled; she was more than happy to leave the two alone. Most of all, Minako wanted to get home to Ami to fill her in. Her father's messages, Heero trying to kill her, dinner with Mamoru, Une being a cumwhoreslut, and…  
  
Minako's mouth hung open as she passed by a figure in the shadows of jinkusu-za. His slightly ruffled, wavy blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and almost ageless debonair made her shiver. That man couldn't possibly be her father…he would not and could not go to the same restaurant as her. How could he find out she would be here? Even if he did listen to her messages, he couldn't have possibly known she was going to show up.  
  
No, her father wasn't that stupid. He would never show up at the same place as her just to kill her off. Not with the thirty or so people dining and nearly twenty more in the kitchen. He was smarter than that. Kin wouldn't want witnesses …  
  
In the background, Minako heard Mamoru shout, incoherently, "My man! Join us!" followed by short giggle from Une. She rolled her eyes and continued her way out the doors. The two could make a good couple…if they could forever remain drunk. She didn't turn back, though, to see who he had been shouting at.  
  
Reassuring herself, Minako left the restaurant. The midnight breeze felt wonderful and made the memory of the restaurant only seem that much more stuffy and harrowing. The breath of fresh air pushed her fears of her father away and reminded her of the long walk home. She couldn't help but wonder if she should call someone…or if she shouldn't have asked Heero for a ride.  
  
A honk next to her shot her in the air. She placed a hand over her heart when she reached the ground again. Minako looked over to see a red Viper. Did he think she was some kind of prostitute? She growled, thinking of kicking the car, punching the driver, and running for her life.  
  
"Duo Maxwell, at your service," the driver purred much like the car. "You're Aino Minako, am I right?" He lifted his dark sunglasses to reveal deep indigo eyes, mirrors to his soul; an open man. But she recognized his name and chestnut braid before anything else processed in her brain.  
  
She nodded reluctantly. Minako wondered if Heero had sent him after her. In her mind, she played back what Ami had told her about this Duo fellow. He was humorous, she had said, while being rude, hasty, and very infuriating. Ami must have been in a bad mood because Heero wouldn't tolerate these things, she didn't think. But perhaps opposites attracted. She laughed in her head. "You're Heero's partner." It was a statement, not a question.  
  
He smiled, widely, much like she did in times of hiding something else. She smiled back, equally as bright and equally as fake. That only seemed to update his while he reached over and opened his car door for her. Minako ignored it and kept walking. Duo steadily followed for a minute or two. What a persistent bastard, Minako thought.  
  
"Com'on, babe!" he shouted, stopping his car. "You've got a beautiful, blue eyed doctor waiting up for you, crying her heart out over Wufei. She's worried about you; she asked me to find you despite her own unhappiness."  
  
Hold up…what did he say? Crying her heart out over WUFEI? What had that jackass done now? Hadn't he hurt Ami enough to get on with his fucking life? Ami had been there for Minako ever since the beginning and so Minako felt more than obligated to comfort Ami in her time of need. Without a second thought, Minako stepped into the car. "How'd you find me and what happened with Wufei?"  
  
Duo stepped on the gas as soon as Minako sat in the adjacent seat. "Heero," he answered then continued after shifting and turning the radio on, "and Wufei was seeing another woman. That God damn bastard! I thought I knew Wufei better than that…I really thought he was a better man than that…"  
  
His rantings were cut short by the radio. A woman, nearly screaming, started her news segment. "Not just five minutes ago, Yokio struck again at a popular, local restaurant, jinkusu-za! He killed all but half of the occupants, mostly waiters and chefs located in the kitchens. Twenty of them have been identified as…" Minako took a big breath as Duo reached for the radio and turned the volume up. He pulled over as the names poured out of the woman.  
  
"Awano O-Yone, sisters Jennifer and Tiffany Chang, Daono Kimi, Fuyuno Jun'ko, Joben Gough, restaurant owner Kino Makoto…"  
  
Time literally stopped for Minako. That was Makoto's restaurant…Kin had killed her…Makoto was dead and Minako had been there…  
  
"…tourists Takuro Lavernhe from France, Brian Maley from the United States, Lee Young Yuu from Korea, brothers Jake and Nicolas McPhearson from the United States, and Jiro Motesgue from Italy, waiter Mareno Kano, Osaka Naru, Numilu Parker, foreigners Michael and Catherine Raymond, Shino Shinzaburo, and Elizabeth Une. Chiba Mamoru and Aino Kin are here by my side, willing to comment on their near death experiences…"  
  
Minako breathing came in short gasps and she reached and turned the radio off. She covered her eyes with her hands to block the tears. "He was there…he was right there! I saw him, God damnit! I fucking saw him! Why didn't I stop him? Why the fuck did I deny he was there? He's crazy…he's fucking insane! Twenty fucking people! All innocent! Not to mention the son of a bitch is still there…near death experiences my fucking ass!" She turned to Duo. "I want to kill him. Drive me there and give me your gun, Duo. I can't live another day knowing he's my father! He's killed TWENTY SEVEN PEOPLE, DUO! ALL BECAUSE OF ME!"

* * *

**_A.N.:_**_ If I get hatemail from this I'm **NOT** going to restrain myself. A whole range of things have been happening these two months to keep me from updating but think of it this way: this is actually near 13 pages in Times New Romance size 12 font. That's basically two chapters (one for each month I didn't post) rolled into one. You like that, yeah? Not to mention the surprising smut scene! It was tasteful, though... right, Drea?  
  
With ...a tired yawn,  
  
**Transcendent, the almost-mighty.**_

* * *

_**SVZ:** How the hell are you always the first to review? I look at other people's review pages and you're **always** first. Are you a superhero? Anyways! I have put in your Duo/Ami scene and therefore you owe me a fic KTHX! Anyways...I didn't make Kin kill her. The story writes itself, I'm just here to cleverly type it up in a presentable way. Darlin, I can be anythin when I want to be :D mwuahaha.  
  
**Jewels15:** Isn't it funny that when people say soon it takes like two months? Yeah, I'm weird like that, sorry. I hope you liked it :)  
  
**Airlady:** Hmm, a new reviewer, eh? Thanks!  
  
**Wisful Thinking2:** HI LOVELY! Quatre will not be fucking anyone in this story, I don't think...I'm glad you read the disclaimer though lol But I also killed Relena? So far...after this chapter...It's three GW characters to two SM ones. By the way, Heero will get this turn....another day and perhaps a another story? ;)  
  
**AznxAngel:** You know what? I had the hardest time typing your sn just now. Anyways, I have a problem with "heal" and "heel". I almost did it in this chapter, too. I'm a retard. I think I'm growing soft because I put in another "fluff" in here, if you want to call it that. But eh...I'm still mean enough to kill twenty people.  
  
**frosty:** I hope your waiting wasn't in vain. A lot of people have been saying this thing is creepy and shit...is it REALLY that scary/chilling/dark/etc?  
  
**SilverCaladan:** skips then decides she needs to say something You do realize I'm going back on my word? You were supposed to post something before I updated. Good thing I know you're actively writing something at the moment or there would be hell to pay. I want another long review, though. Give me insight!  
  
**datajana:** I will continue to email you, too! Thanks for you review.  
  
**ShadowStar21:** .... skips  
  
**FairDrea:** For all those reviews I gave you tasteful smut, yeah? There will be more to come, too! Cannot displease engaged wife! Anyways, I'm really glad you like this (despite the fact that you've never watched GW). And yes, you did get a dedication AND SOME SMUT! :)  
  
**Black Aura-Sama:** Hi dearest! This chapter shouldn't make you scared! Well.....since you probably have already read it: it didn't make you scared! JIRO MOTESGUE WILL LIVE ON FOREVER! :D I've seen plenty of Trowa/Minako stories; maybe you're not looking hard enough nudge nudge Ami wasn't married to Wufei!  
  
**Inverse-chan:** Heh, thanks! I've actually been reading your story __Catch me in the darkness_ and enjoying it. I just don't always review becaues I'm a loser. But hey, Wufei and Ami are not going to be together. Horray? lol  
  
**Mirror's Image:** Me lovely JUJU! You didn't flame or review two more times. No chapter guide for you. Bad JuJu BAD! Why the hell did you go on hiatus anyways? :O 

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****

**1 O'CLOCK IS ONE YEAR OLD!  
**Kind of sad considering it only has eight chapters.


	9. A Stunning Letdown

**_1 o'clock_**_ by: Transcendent._  
_"I want to speak these words, but I guess I'll bite my tongue  
And accept 'someday, somehow' as the words that we'll hang from."_

* * *

**_A.N.:_**_ I've had this done for a long time. I actually had it posted and about five minutes after I had submitted it, I decided it wasn't good enough so I deleted it (thanks to Lea for still reviewing, though). I went back and changed a few parts and added in others. I've changed it four or five different times, now, and I kept on having to send resend it to Liz. Anyways, I finally got her to edit (thank God, that chapter made it so obvious how tired I've been for the past few weeks). Sorry that it's taken so long. I write on my own time and at my own pace. For all of you who have put up with that, thanks.  
  
This chapter, though, was incredibly difficult to write because I really don't have a clue how to write Dorothy and I had no clue how I would get what I had planned to happen for a good reason. Thanks to Drea, though, I finally found a little muse to go off on and that's what started this chapter. Be patient with the next one, I have a feeling it'll be as long as the chapter before this (there'll be some smut).  
  
_

* * *

**Dedication:** Here's your dedication, Aino. **  
  
ALL STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY. DRY THOSE TEARS, GIRLIES, AND BE A MAN.**

* * *

**Chapter Nine: A Stunning Letdown**  
  
Her eyes were fierce, glowing with anger and all of the associated emotions. With so much passion reserved for negative thoughts, he could literally see the flames of her rage and fury soar around like a hurricane. The only things that were on her mind, written so clearly on her precious features, were him and her—their relationship and supposed love—and the death of his sister. He couldn't blame her; those exact same things were on his mind, but for totally different reasons. The main one, however, was the beautiful, dark haired woman with a gaze so astounding it wounded him from the inside out. What was to come, he knew, would be words like fire and a bark that **could** bite.  
  
Inwardly flinching, he noticed how her polished nails seem to dig into the palms of her petite hands. Funny, he thought grimly; he was doing the same thing. His wife-to-be was a force to be reckoned with when angered or even slightly annoyed and he held his breath, anticipating the end of her wrath. What was she waiting for? Maybe she was waiting for his chest to fall or maybe she was waiting for hell to freeze over…   
  
The atmosphere inside was burning and cold, contemplative, and serious. Outside, leaves were flying freely from their home up in the branches of old trees. Quatre knew he couldn't leave to avoid whatever was going to happen; this was the calm before the storm, the storm of the century, the fight of their lives. They had never fought before and Quatre didn't want to start now. Weren't fights what literally broke apart the best bonds of life?  
  
Maybe Rei didn't know that.  
  
"We need to talk, Quatre." The words didn't catch in her throat but they managed to cause his heart to nearly jump up his. She was secure in what she wanted to say and that no matter the definite circumstances she was going to have it her way because that's how it had always been. Quatre was afraid for the day when her poise was defect.  
  
He was careful not to trip over his words; truth be told, she made him plum nervous in these types of situations. He wasn't a fighter, he was a lover. "Okay." Breathe! "What about?"  
  
Somehow his calm words only fueled the blazes behind her intent. "Don't play with me, Quatre Winner, and don't make me use your full name. You know what this is about! It's about your sister, your flesh and blood, the one woman you're allowed to love more than me!" She paused and he managed another breath. "She's dead, Quatre. What does that say about me?"  
  
He twitched, but made sure it was a small enough movement so that she wouldn't pick it up. What was she talking about…? Iria. The Butcher. Yokio. The murder. Yeah, that's what she was talking about. But as for her question, he still hadn't a clue. "That you're alive…?"  
  
"No, Quatre. I'm fucking dead." She made a movement to slap herself on the forehead and obviously succeeded. The noise was so loud, Quatre was started and felt the need to ask if she was hurt, but he held back when she continued her rampage. "Are you really that clueless? Am I about to marry a fucking moron? Quatre, you're supposed to look after her, keep her alive, you know, look out for her like a brother is supposed to do. How can I trust that you're going to keep ME alive if you can't keep your sister alive?"  
  
Deep down, he was hurt. Quatre loved Iria with his whole heart; she had been there for him since practically day one. Without her, his sister, he doubted that he would have become half the person he was today. Without her, he would have been lost in a family disease: a desire for control, power, and wealth. It had been Iria who had taught him love, compassion, and sincerity; she knew that he wasn't going to get it from anyone else. Iria dying was like his mother dying all over again.  
  
Rei was completely right. He had done little to prevent Iria's death. He had always thought she could handle herself in any situation, given that she always had been on top of things when he was young; she had taken care of him and managed to pursue everything she had dreamed of. It was as if she was a woman of no faults, no flaws or imperfections, but she was only human and she had died like one. However, her death was a very preventable one…and he had done nothing to save her. Even if someone could somehow convince him that it had been too late, Iria had called too late, Rei had called to inform him too late, his car had been going too slow that night, something that couldn't have possibly be controlled by him had caused it…he doubted he would have believed them.  
  
But Iria and Rei were different; his love for the two women differed in many ways. Iria had been a mother and a companion through his years while Rei would, hopefully, be his companion until death. He yearned to live in Rei's presence, to be near or to feel her body next to his and in his arms. With Iria, he only wished for her guidance and the secure feeling her words evoked in him.  
  
Which led him to a possible conclusion about her accusation… "Rei, you know I love you. There's no question about that-"  
  
…But she cut him off before he could get there. "That's not what I'm getting at! Quatre, don't you see? What if I'm in real, actual, life threatening DANGER? How are you going to protect me? You wouldn't have even known she was in fucking trouble if she hadn't called me. How can I trust you with my life if …you couldn't be trusted with hers?"  
  
He felt his heart drop into a bottomless pit. "I don't know, Rei, but there isn't a person in this world that could possibly come between my protecting you." The words soon died of an empty meaning as her hands came to her hips and the look in her eye intensified. "I don't know, Rei. I honestly and sorrowfully don't know."  
  
"How can I marry someone who can't keep me safe? Isn't that what marriage is about, Quatre?" Her hands went to her face as her words slowed and faded. She paused to think. The dark wisps of her hair cleverly clashed with the light color of her porcelain skin. As her hands were removed from her face, the look on her somewhat dark features terrified him.  
  
She was utterly, emotionally, no doubt about it, serious.  
  
"It's more than that, Rei. I…don't know what you want me to say. I mean, you know I love you more than I ever have loved anyone and probably ever will," his voice shook as he spoke. Somehow he felt like he was losing the battle, like he was losing her and she wanted to be lost.  
  
The fire was warm beside her and she took a quick glance at it and sighed, perhaps comforted slightly. Her sigh made him sigh. His, however, was mostly caused by reflex: trying to carry her burden on his shoulders. Quatre didn't think it was working this time, though. The battle had only started between them but somehow the tension had ceased. She rested an arm across her midsection and an elbow on top it, to place her elegant cheek in her hand and slouch.  
  
"I know you love me, Quatre, but you loved Iria, too. Your love didn't protect her and won't protect me. Love isn't everything, Quatre, and if we don't have everything…if this relationship doesn't have everything, how can we manage? Together, even, how can we deal with life if we can hardly handle it by ourselves?"  
  
Quatre was defeated by the words which his fiancée used as an arrow to lesion his heart. Without that vital piece of muscle in his body, he felt weak and useless and his bones felt like sticks, his head heavy, his feet and hands too big, and his lungs had stopped working.  
  
"Rei…" he said under his breath. The emotion in with which he said her name was as powerful as her wrath: soft with passion, slow like pain, and as deep as the hole he found himself trying to claw out of.  
  
Her reply, though, was softer, slower, and deeper than what he could manage. "Quatre…" Her eyes closed and her hands went to her heart as she turned to the fire. Again, she sighed, but this time he didn't repeat the action. Rei wasn't finished, though, and her aim was to thoroughly torture his useless, broken-hearted soul. "I love you more than you could ever know. But love didn't save Iria, didn't save Makoto, Usagi, or Relena, and it can't save either one of us."  
  
He watched a tear slide down her cheek and he had to walk away. Rei's eyes neglected to watch him as she stared into the fire, hoping to gain something she could have possibly lost tonight.  
  
In the fire she gazed, horrified at the site she saw. A blonde girl's tattered and battered form with her blue eyes wide open in agony, Usagi's frozen and bloodied figure leaning against a sacred tree, Iria stained crimson from her gun wounds with a scribbled message written in her very blood, and a madman shooting everyone in sight, including Makoto.  
  
She had no choice. No one did…

* * *

"The city has a magical glow to it tonight, Quatre. Wipe that pout off your face and enjoy it like everyone else is. It would not be fair for me to sit here, drinking away the night, while you pretend to be having a good time," she coaxed him, pushing him to an unseen edge to make him say something or to enjoy the night when he didn't want to. Her words always had a twist; a way to manipulate a brain into doing what they ordered.  
  
But he couldn't enjoy her company as he had before. He felt like he was being punished for something he didn't know that he had done. "I'm sorry," he heaved a sigh. "I hope I'm not ruining your night…I'm just a bit preoccupied, I guess." Damn straight he was.  
  
Dorothy Catalonia picked up her drink, coke and rum, and eased it to her lips. "You know, Quatre, you should not let things get to you so easily; it's as if you are still a little child that needs things to be explained instead of making connections yourself." She took a sip and replaced the glass on the table. "What happens to be tormenting your mind tonight, dear friend?"  
  
He heaved a sigh, leaning forward and placing his hands next to the full martini glass. Quatre didn't want to talk about Rei in front of Dorothy, at least…not when she had been drinking; her attitude about Rei definitely wasn't the most positive and he didn't want to fight anymore. He was tired of fighting and had been tired for a long time.  
  
Instead, he kept his head lowered so that she couldn't see his blue eyes analyzing her. He had many fond memories of Dorothy and many not so great, but he had her exact image ingrained perfectly into his mind. She had long platinum blonde hair that never forgot to shine in even the smallest amount of light, ice blue eyes that sent chills down his back at times from their cold appearance, and a body so well sculpted it could rival that of Aphrodite or Rei.  
  
Quatre's mouth twitched into a smile. Her eyebrows, however, were a topic all on their own. How could she look into a mirror and not feel the need to…pluck them? He had watched Rei take tweezers and pluck her eyebrows to perfection, but Dorothy never had. In fact, Dorothy probably didn't even know how to. He felt like laughing but held it back; Dorothy was beautiful despite her evil eyebrows. She was the opposite of his love and it was probably the reason why he was still friends with her. Everyone needed a change sometime.  
  
However, Dorothy wasn't just any average company. The woman had, many years ago, been his fiancée. Of course, that was before Quatre had met Rei and truly fell in love. The fact that he had another woman, though, didn't change Dorothy's opinion. She still loved him, it was obvious, but he didn't mind or care. She was incredibly wise and always lent the advice that seemed to lead him to the best possible solution or conclusion. That was why he was with the blonde right now; he needed advice on what to do about Rei…but how could he, supposedly one of the nicest people on God's green Earth, ask for help? Could he really be as heartless as to bring up the subject of the only woman Dorothy ever had such pessimistic feelings for?  
  
Yes, of course he could. That was why he couldn't enjoy the night; it was going to be pure hell to torture her like that…  
  
Maybe not, though. He wasn't sure why he had called her after his fight (could he call it that?) with Rei. Quatre couldn't explain it; couldn't explain the reason why he didn't want to mention Rei but at the same time wanted to ask her for advice on the very subject. He knew Dorothy could have a very strong reaction, a very **bad** one, that is, to hearing anything about his fiancée. At the same time, nevertheless  
  
He took a long, swift gulp of his martini. "I sort of…well, Rei and I had a fight, to put it shortly, and I'm kind of worried." He wondered…sympathy act? Ah, why not… "I don't know what to do." Quatre looked up, coming in eye contact with Dorothy. He didn't pull away and neither did she. Her hands, though, managed to find a way on top of his like a protective shield to keep him in place and unharmed. He could feel the heat radiating from them in an almost loving way as her fingers played with his fondly.  
  
A small smile briefly assured him of her desire to comfort him. Dorothy blinked once and stopped finger movement. "Ah, alright. I see why you look so tense; you are worried about your relationship with Rei. Mind telling me what the fight was about?"  
  
Quatre's hands felt uncomfortable under hers so he pulled away and encircled one around the neck of his glass and the other to scratch the back of his neck. "Well…I'm not entirely sure what's going on in her head at all times, but whatever she was thinking was triggered by Iria's murder." He had to pause, unless he wasn't afraid to cry in public. "She thinks that I can't protect her."  
  
"Oh, Quatre, she just wants a way out of marrying you." Dorothy's hands went to her lap after taking another sip of her rum and coke. "Rei is using an excuse: you not being able to protect her. Obviously, Quatre, she does not love you enough to actually go through with the marriage. I can't see why, though. Perhaps she met another man and you are unaware? Or perhaps-"  
  
Impossible. "Dorothy, I don't think she's having a premarital affair; Rei isn't like that. I think she's just scared…" He wasn't going to let her berate the woman his heart still sang out to no matter the circumstances. Dorothy could hate Rei, but not in front of him.  
  
She wasn't affected by his interruption, though, and kept going strong with her assumptions and opinions. It was quite natural for her to ignore his disruption; she was Dorothy Catalonia, head of the Romefeller Foundation. She was a business woman and easily scared men much bigger and fiercer than the likes of him. In more ways than one, she was the shark in the sea and everyone else was the fish she ate. "Open your eyes. What could she be scared of? Marrying you? Nice one, Quatre, I must applaud your comedic efforts but no. Don't be so blind, Quatre Raberba Winner. Hino Rei is a who-"  
  
His face flushed. Quatre's eyes averted and rested on the middle of the table for a moment. She might have been the shark in the sea, but he was too. Maybe he was the shark that ate other sharks. Yeah, that was him. "Stop, Dorothy, you don't know Rei."  
  
"Maybe I don't, but maybe you don't either." Platinum strands were pulled behind her ears and she crossed her black panted legs, one over the other. "Tell me more, Quatre."  
  
He bit his lip and tasted copper. Copper was strong, he thought, and he was, too. A shark! Quatre could play Dorothy's games. "Because Iria died and I wasn't able to protect her, to stop her murder…Rei thinks that I won't be able to protect her from anything. She says love can't protect her. She's right, Dorothy, she's absolutely right. I can't protect her."  
  
Dorothy made a face equivalent to scrunching up her nose and furry eyebrows. "Why should you protect her? You could not have possibly saved your sister and Rei cannot expect you to be there for her like some trained dog." Her eyes reflected the lights over head, sparkling as if she absolutely knew she was right.  
  
Quatre took in a good amount of air through his nose and didn't let it out for a while. "Yeah, but that's not the point-"  
  
"It's not?" Dorothy's hand went up to cup her chin as if she was more bored than concerned. Her golden bracelets shimmied down her forearm. "She's trying to push you away from her. By all means, let her; if she does not want to marry you, you should not want to marry her. I knew it could not possibly work out; Rei is an inconsiderate little snob that needs to be taught a valuable lesson in life. I feel as if she has been using you this whole time for reasons neither you nor I am aware of."  
  
Rei was not pushing him away, what an absurd idea. If she was, Quatre wouldn't feel so worried for her well-being and would feel more concerned with his own. Besides, the whole thing was about him being able to protect her, right? But, as the real question seemed to be, protect her from what, exactly? From herself, from the public…from him… It didn't make sense. Maybe she was pushing him away, trying to find a reason why they couldn't get married.  
  
He figured, though, that it was the same for everyone else. Marriage was built on love, respect, and all that shit. None of it could protect anyone from physical harm. So what did she want from him? Did she want him to hire an elite squad to watch her every move to make sure she would be safe? That would mean money, though. It was something he had but never, not once, had it entered into the equation of their relationship. Without that factor, he believed, it made them so attracted to each other physically and mentally because they weren't thinking about the other's job or income. They had always wanted more of each other, to see the other "one last time" or to talk to the other "just for a few more minutes" and somehow that had turned into nights with no sleep just talking on the phone or breakfasts sitting at the table that lasted until lunch…not "can I borrow $1,000,000, please?".  
  
None of that would or could protect Rei. Not his money, not her money, and the not their attraction or yearning they felt towards each other could stop someone from gang raping her or a car crashing into hers. Hell! If anything, those things only made the chance of those things happening even greater. Not one thing in this universe could one hundred percent protect anyone from anything. Not from hurt, pain, death…or happiness. Maybe that's what Rei was scared of: being happy for once. What a crazy idea! Somehow, though, he knew it was the truth.  
  
Quatre smiled with his heart and he felt like crying. He knew what it was! Rei was scared of finally being happy, allowing him to let her be happy. So, in a way, she was trying to keep distance between him and her; trying to keep the idea of true love away because Rei didn't believe in it. She had always told him that she 'couldn't be falling in love, but it sure did feel like it'. Maybe she was just joking herself because it was obvious to him now that Rei loved him too much. That's why she had cried. She knew what she was doing. Rei had always been sentient of what she was causing.  
  
He laughed with his final thought, "We've both been entirely wrong. I need to go, Dorothy, thank you for the talk; I really needed it." For a second, Quatre thought he could see pain on her face.  
  
She seemed uneasy, however, but she nodded. "It's been great, Quatre. Just like old times." Her hands moved to rest on her lap.  
  
Dorothy watched Quatre pay for their drinks quickly, placing a hundred dollar bill on the table, and leave in a hurry. Outside she could hear his car hum to life and speed away against the dying storm outside. She whispered to herself, "Yeah, just like old times, huh, Quatre? We used to do this all the time, just the two of us. We used to be in love but now you have been caught by someone else. How could you?" She blinked back the tears she had been holding in all night. "How could you so brutally batter my heart every day?"  
  
She stood and walked outside, shrugging on her mink jacket and grabbing her genuine leather purse. A long time ago they had been crazy for each other. He would call her all the time and they'd spend days without end with each other, talking and making love. In her head, Dorothy could clearly remember the day he had proposed to her. They had spent the night in the arms of the other and he had turned around with a small box. She hadn't been the least bit surprised and accepted without a second thought.  
  
Her doubts, though, built as he spent more time 'at work' than with her. He would forget to call or forget important dates. The time they spent together had slowly decayed to a simple greeting, a kiss or a hug, and a few rushed words of little or no meaning. Even if Quatre was a cop and Dorothy an active business woman, her schedule had always allowed a time for him but, it seemed, his couldn't. She didn't mind much because they had found time, at least once a week, to meet for a night of passion. The doubts only eased then and soared after.  
  
Her world had shattered, however, when she saw Quatre and Rei together at the very bar she had just been in. Anyone could have simply misjudged them as friends but Dorothy had known better. The smiles and looks he gave Rei that day weren't friendly in the slightest and Dorothy hadn't seen those looks for a very long time.  
  
In a fit of rage, Dorothy had thrown the ring at them and it landed in his drink only to be consumed by the alcohol filling the glass. She had stormed out, hurt beyond human comprehension, and cried alone in the park until midnight. Going home, though, would have meant more hurt since they had lived together, so, instead, she spent the next week or two isolated in Relena's house. Dorothy had hated life. Dorothy had hated Rei. Why?  
  
It was all Rei's fault.  
  
Dorothy revved her engine awake and shifted into drive before she sneered and wiped away the tears she hadn't noticed. "In God's name, Hino Rei, you will pay for everything."

* * *

Rei sat in front of the fire, basking in its brightness like it was the sun. In more ways than one, fire was her sun. It had always been there for her, telling her of the future no matter how awful it was. But at the moment, the fire was oddly silent after its previous explosion of images and it scared her. Why was it keeping information from her now, of all times?  
  
She sighed, wiping her face again to make sure she wasn't still crying. Rei felt so weak, powerless, and more over, she felt like the dirt under Quatre's shoes. He was too good for her; he was too kind, too considerate and gentle, loving and passionate. What was she? A horrible monster too scared to love someone. Her fists found the ground in front of her angrily. She didn't have a choice; there was no way she could be with him, she didn't want to be hurt. But did Quatre deserve to be hurt instead?  
  
"God damnit," she muttered in between choked sobs. She refused to cry, though, and only made small whining sounds that couldn't really be heard. It didn't matter, though, Rei thought, the only thing that could hear her was the calming fire. It never changed; always was the same every time she looked at it. Red and orange flames with flickers of blue or green always; it could never be different.  
  
However, she was as inconsistent as the height the flames reached. She was either high on emotion or low to a level of hatred. Right now, though, she was low in self pity; she might have just driven the only man she could have loved away and into the arms of another. Rei could deny it, say that he loved her more than anyone else, but she would only be trying to raise her spirits. Her spirits, though, were meant to be lower than hell; why should she even try to elevate them? She wasn't worth the lift that was Quatre. Rei didn't deserve to be happy.  
  
At least, that's what she thought. By any means necessary, she would keep it that way, but Quatre...She had been betrayed and backstabbed, what could he do to her? Whatever it was, Rei reasoned, it would have to be ten times worse because she loved him. It even wounded her to think about it. He couldn't…but the others hadn't seemed like they could either and they did. All men were the same. Dogs.  
  
She was too far in thought to notice the man behind her until he had dropped to his knees and pulled her hair away from her right shoulder and neck. From there, he placed soft kisses and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.  
  
"Quatre." Damn those fucking tears. Why couldn't they stop? She knew they hadn't stopped since Usagi's death and they wouldn't stop until…  
  
He stopped kissing her and hugged her tightly, allowing her body to relax against his. "I'm sorry, Rei. You're right, love can't protect us—my love can't protect you. But you know what?" He paused for her to think and answer.  
  
But she didn't think. She couldn't think. What was he telling her? She was right? No, she was wrong! "Quatre…" Her voice was weak, though, too weak to even be called a voice.  
  
He placed a light kiss on her cheek and watched the fire. "We're different from everyone else, Rei. I don't care if ten thousand men were after you, I'd kill them all with my bare hands just to see you again. I love you and nothing can change that; I'll protect you from anything with everything I have."  
  
"I don't deserve you. I don't deserve what you can give me…why, Quatre? Why do you love me?" She didn't know where all her self-doubt had come from. Rei turned to read his features—turned her back on the fire to watch it glow on his visage.  
  
His hands cupped her face and he smiled, sincerely. "I love you because of your fiery strength and your cold desolation. I love you because of the honey laughter you create and the angered glares you could kill people with. I love you because of your intelligence and your arrogance. I love you because you're Hino Rei, my fiancée, the woman I'm going to be happily married to for the rest of my life."  
  
Her wine eyes watered and she had to blink a few times to rid the blurriness. "I'm a horrible person, Quatre, I don't deserve you or anything."  
  
"_Au contraire, Mon amour_, you deserve the whole world; stop saying you don't." Another smile graced his face. "Rei, will you marry me?"  
  
How could he be so convincing; why could he be? For the moment, she thought, everything would be ok. Kin would be caught and life would go on. Her life would and it'd be with Quatre. Minako would move on and Ami would, too. The man in front of her was perfect and she couldn't turn him away. Rei didn't understand, now, why she had.  
  
It didn't matter though, she knew. They were together and he hadn't been affected in the least. Most importantly, their relationship had grown stronger because this doubt had been removed. Love wasn't just a feeling, it was real and they had it in their grasp.  
  
The fire flickered brightly behind her.  
  
"Quatre, we're already engaged," she laughed through her tears. "But I'll still say yes. I'll marry you, Quatre. I'll marry you twice. I'll marry you three times if you want. Hell, let's go for five."  
  
Maybe it'd be okay. No, it **would** be okay. She was deeply in love and no amount of digging or climbing would find a way out of it.

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**_A.N.:_**_ Love the fluff now because I doubt there will be any more of it for a long time, if any at all. I know angst gets boring and that's why there are these types of scenes, but other than that...this isn't a happy story. Thanks for all the reviews, keep them coming and I'll love you all even more.  
  
Needs to go start her chemistry hoemwork,  
**Transcendent, the almost-mighty.**_

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_**Aino Yuy aka Funny Loser:** Wufei is too good for condoms, didn't you know that? I guess you missed that memo. Your dedication? Up there somewhere. Hmm, yeah, enough words wasted on you.  
  
**SVZ:** points and laughs hysterically at you AINO BEAT YOU! That's great. Heh, well, my ego is fairly large nowadays, and I bet Alma can reassure you about that, too. Hmm, well, no Ami or Duo in this chapter. Actually, I bet this chapter seemed pointless. YOU ARE ALL WRONG.  
  
**Tsubasa-chan:** Since I know you like Rei so much, here's a nice Rei chapter. It's so sweet and snuggly, too...aweee. Heh, sorry, though, it wasn't for you. I had to...my brain made me write it. But still, that doesn't mean a single thing. I can say it was for you and ...it is now! Umm...more smut to come?  
  
**Wishful Thinking2:** Hello, m'love. I think 2 milk is the best. It's not cream or like water, it's just like...milk, ya' know? I like your reviews when you should be sleeping. So I'm not going to remind you.  
  
**Inverse-chan:** No action in this chapter, but you're right. Sometime soon whistles sometime soon... Minako will be paired with no one, really. I don't call it "pairing". People in real life don't "pair". They get together. In that sense, Minako does a lot of 'getting together'.  
  
**AznxAngel:** Awe, you loved it? That makes me happy ;D  
  
**Black Aura-Sama:** Hello, m'dearest Kna! Jiro Motesgue est le hot sex. I like that review, ya' know...I liked knowing I made you laugh/smile that much!  
  
**optional:** (Review I) Eh, I guess I kept you waiting. I'm sorry, really...I am. I just have some brain disorder no one has discovered yet. AND YES, that's a damn good excuse. (Review II) Thanks for reviewing again. I'm not allowing myself to tell everyone the pairings yet. It's something for you to figure out. I'll tell you now, though: I'm really tricky; not everything is as it appears to be.  
  
**FairDrea:** Yeah, I would have to agree with that "about time" shit. I can't wait for my next smut scene so you can help me improve. I'd say that would be one of the main reason why we're maired but...umm, well, there's a hell of a lot of reasons why we're married. Wouldn't you agree? Heh ;P By the way, the book I'm reading has a character with YOUR name who has blonde hair. Isn't that weird? Her initials are D.O.E.S. and if they are yours, I'm going to die. Well, it'll be fun reading about you in my new book.  
  
**SilverCaladan:** FFnet sucks for being such a fucking jackass and destroying four possible reviews I could've gotten from you. Well, anyways, love you, m'dearest wife. _

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****

**Transcendent is sweet 16. Horrah.  
** I'm growing old with this story...


	10. Me Ves Y Sufres

_**1 o'clock** by: Transcendent  
"The leaves are gone. There's ice on the river.  
Hold my hand to your heart and breathe.  
Together, we won't make a sound  
As we part for the winter of my life.  
'Till it ends, till this stops… and then? Love?  
We'll see while we're left to grieve."_

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_**Author's Notes:** Go ahead. Beat me. Six months, I admit, is a long fucking time. Be my guest. Hit me. Hard. Many times. Make me pay for my ...whatever you want to call it. Forgetfulness? Uninspiration? Just-not-wanting-to-write-ness?_

Anyways, this was edited, of course. I'm really sorry for the long ass wait. I'm not going to say anything about the chapter, it's your decision. I tried to get as many opinions on it as I could, and everyone seemed to like it. BUT ME. However, it doesn't really matter what I think, now does it? I'll probably change it later, when I re-write everything.

Oh. I realized that I said that this chapte rwould be long and that there would be smut. Both wrong. I wanted this chapter to be longer, but Liz said it didn't need anything more. So, basically, I left it at nine pages and called it a goddamn day. No smut. However, there will be some sort of smut next chapter. For sure. No lies!

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**Dedication:** Uh. I'll get back to you on that one.

**ALL STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY. DRUGS ARE BAD.**

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**Chapter Ten: Mes Ves Y Sufres**

He had been thinking about her ever since the murder of Iria Winner and he knew why. Minako had cried that night and, no less, on the shoulder of Hino Rei. There was a lot to Minako he had yet to find out… and he wondered if she kept it all from him on purpose. Perhaps…

Well, he couldn't really assume anything because he had nothing to work from. Of course, Trowa knew the human psyche better than almost any other, but he knew Minako was different. Typically, people held back things, feelings, emotions, thoughts, and memories, because of a past experience. Although he knew Minako thus far had a pretty rough life, that's all he knew. There hadn't been anything she implied or donated consciously, to his knowledge.

Trowa, actually, hadn't stopped thinking about her since the first day he had set eyes on her. He watched Minako from the doorway, now, as her eyes slowly closed to reveal a coruscating eye shadow. What was she thinking? Most likely, he figured, she was (once again) concentrating on the case that wasn't really any of her business. After all, Minako was a coroner, not a detective, but it was endearing nonetheless.

Her hands set the folders down and she adjusted the small reading glasses perched on the bridge of her nose. Charming image or not, Trowa really had no clue why she wanted to find the serial killer and he couldn't remember a time, from their five years working together, that she had been so adamant about finding the culprit. If Trowa didn't know her better, with the way she was working, Minako wanted to find Yokio so badly that she would easily kill herself in exchange for capturing him and putting him to death.

Truth be told, that simple thought scared the shit out of Trowa and frankly, nothing scared Trowa… at all. It wasn't war, death, blood, or disease that frightened the languid Trowa; it was the notion of Minako facing those things instead of him…the simple idea that he cared for someone else more deeply and soundly than he cared for himself. When was the last time Trowa had ever worried about anyone? The war, which was about 10 years ago; he had cared about his comrades and he supposed he still did.

He didn't care about them as much as he cared about Minako, though… Trowa enjoyed her and the strength she represented, potency so severe that Trowa had never seen anything like it before. To himself, he laughed and marveled; if she had been in the war with the rest of them, the war would have lasted five minutes; not five years.

There was something about Minako, he recognized, that drew him in. Perhaps it was her mysterious, aloof personality, or her demanding attitude, but he knew she lacked reality; nothing about her was real. She was too cunning, too witty, and too humorous, and sometimes she was too solemn or too giddy. Trowa could see something fake about her, in certain moments, and he wondered why she kept things from others and why she chose to remain to, and by, herself at most times. He wondered if it wasn't for her own benefit, though, keeping to herself… but for others. Trowa heavily doubted it.

He knew she was certainly killing herself from the inside out. The process had been slow, starting from the first day she witnessed the horrors humanity was capable of. He had watched, from behind, as her back stiffened and her small hands shifted into the pockets of the jacket that had then been wrapped tightly around her figure. Minako's head had dropped slightly and he had watched her shoulders heave up only to rest back down. Trowa had desperately, even then, felt the need to drape a soothing arm around her and hold her tightly to his frame. The only problem, though, was that she had quickly covered up her uneasiness with apathy and moved to correctly do the job she had been hired to do. He had thought that, perhaps, he hadn't seen anything at all and that the only reason why he had wanted to 'soothe' her was because he was physically attracted to her.

Trowa realized now, though, that it wasn't just because she was beautiful.

He leaned over Minako's form, one hand gripping the edge of the desk and the other on her dainty shoulder. She didn't move or flinch, but he did see the hint of a smile brush over her once pursed lips. Trowa felt her right hand softly slide on top of his and remove it from the edge of the desk to replace it on a page in the files. She gently took his first finger and pointed to Tsukino Usagi's name.

"She was one of my best friends," her sultry voice started. Minako's hand fitted itself into his and she relaxed her body against the chair. "After I moved from England, she was the first person I met. I remember perfectly. Usagi's smile was infectious and the only thing you could ever do was be happy; there was no other emotion you could feel while being around her. She was a wonderful person, even if she despised her younger brother, even if she ate way more than was healthy, and even if she was a complete ditz at times."

Trowa looked down at Minako once her words had paused for longer than expected. One of her fingers was over her lips as if she was unsure of what to say next, or if she should even continue. All he wanted to do was lick them, lips and fingers…

Her hand returned to the desk below. "I was a big flirt back in my younger years." She smiled fondly at her memories. Trowa wondered what she meant by that because from what he heard from others, she was still a flirt. However, he didn't interrupt her. "I never went more than two months without a boyfriend. They all ended up in heartbreak, though, every single one… The only person who could ever cheer me up was Usagi. I remember our sleepovers. It was her, me, and the rest of the gang: Rei, Makoto, and Ami."

Inside, he frowned. She wasn't talking about who he thought she was… "Hino Rei, the reporter, and –"

"Kino Makoto, owner of jinkusu-za, the woman who was shot down the other night." Her lips tightened together, as if stitched, and the warmth of her hand left his. She sighed, audibly, and Trowa wondered what she was thinking. Obviously, she had put up with a lot more loss than he had ever imagined… and perhaps that was why she had been so distant ever since Tsukino Usagi's murder. Perhaps it wasn't.

It made sense, though… but the heart he never thought he had clenched tightly. Why hadn't she told him this before and why was she telling him now? He knew Minako, or at least he thought he did; he knew for a fact that she liked keeping things like this to herself. The reason why she remained emotionally isolated, he rationalized, was because it hurt her in some way; remembering was painful. Simply, the fact that she was even telling him this much was fairly odd and unlike her. He knew, somehow, she was reliving these memories for a greater purpose than what he had initially hoped; it wasn't because she wanted to share with him. That didn't stop him from listening to her stories, though, or her voice.

Trowa could remain in her presence until the ends of time…

Minako shifted in her seat and gently ran her fingers over his knuckles. Chills ran up his spine as she moved up his forearm, her pace slow, and past his biceps to rest clenching on his coat's collar lightly. A small smile appeared on her lips and she pulled away to stand up. She quickly organized the files on her desk before transferring them to a briefcase at the far end of her desk. What the hell was she doing to him? Was she even aware? Of course she was.

She turned to him after shrugging on her heavy fur coat that had once been situated on the back of her chair. "Guess what?" she asked, her clear blue eyes laughing as a smirk teased her rosy mouth.

Somehow relieved at her sudden mood change, but also aware of the degree of change was unusual, Trowa let himself smile at her happiness. What would he accomplish in questioning her now? He had never questioned her motives, her moods, or anything that even pertained to her. Not a good thing, Trowa realized, because it meant she had the advantage.

"Hmm?" Not necessarily an answer, but had she expected him to guess?

His hands went into his pockets, mainly because they were most comfortable there if not in her hands (something he just noticed). Instead of lingering on his previous thoughts, he let it go. Losing to Minako wasn't a bad thing, after all, especially since he didn't know what she had won.

Minako lifted the briefcase's strap over her shoulder and headed for the door. "I need a ride home and I think you'll be able to give me one, right? You know I'd really appreciate it… and that I'll never ask you again. Not ever…" she giggled, and then added, "And that I'd love you forever?"

Obviously, though, she wasn't doing this, whatever 'this' was, to him for no reason—'just because'. She wanted something. However, that offer was too good to pass up, even if she wasn't being serious about it. Even if, he knew, she wasn't even being honest. He knew she had a car. Actually, it was a gorgeous car and fairly expensive from what he had heard. Why she didn't ever drive it was beyond him, but he was more than happy to give her a ride home. He did, though, wonder who had brought her to work.

Before he could ask, she found the door handle and his right hand, which was still in his pocket. "Since Ami's car is completely totaled and Duo has had to take her to and from work, he did promise her after all, I've been asking Heero to drive me. I think he's getting a little irritated. I'm sure you know how he gets, right? You said that you knew him."

Trowa allowed Minako to half drag him to his own car, even though he was very willing to give her a ride. He was distracted by her. Not her looks, no, her attitude. The change was sudden, as he had noticed before, and he had a feeling it wasn't because she was actually happy. He wanted to believe it was because she was happy, and because he was with her, but a tiny part of him, the part he had long since buried when the last war had ended, told him it was because she was hiding something and, at the same time, that she was trying to get something out of him.

That same part, he reasoned, Heero was still dragging with him after all of these years. It was probably why Heero was getting irritated with her; she was always hiding something from him, from everyone… and Trowa knew that Heero hated people who tried to hide things.

However, because Trowa had a feeling that she wanted information about Heero from him, he kept silent. He knew, of course, that she was expecting either a vague answer or nothing at all and even by not answering her, he was giving her something. He didn't mind that she was getting something out of nothing, because he was certainly doing the same with her; the more she talked, the more ways he could figure her out.

It didn't seem liked she minded much that he didn't answer. Actually, it looked as if she had received an answer. So, he was right about her expectations. With this, he knew that she thought she knew him. Amazing what one can get out of a simple question.

Trowa pulled out his car keys and instantly turned off the alarm and unlocked the doors. He allowed Minako to open her own door and he walked around the large black Escalade to the driver's side. As he climbed in, he watched her snuggle into her coat and strap her seat belt on. He couldn't help but smile to himself; she was sexy even when she wasn't trying to be and even when she was too smart for her own good.

He shoved the keys into the ignition and placed his left foot on the clutch and the other on the brake. Turning the key, the Cadillac hummed to life. Trowa undid the parking break and then quickly moved into the correct position to back out of the parking spot. With ease, once he had safely cleared the cars and walls around him, he gunned it for the exit.

Minako giggled and crossed her legs. She looked over at Trowa and smiled. "You're funny," she said, crossing her arms over her chest to keep warm.

"Why are you acting like this, Minako?" he asked her, disregarding her last statement. Even if he didn't want to ruin her smiles and giggles, he wanted to know why she was trying to play at something she wasn't. Perhaps she was truly happy right now and he was just seeing things. He wouldn't have any excuses to destroy her optimism then, but she didn't wear that cheerfulness often; it was so unlike her it was almost troubling. It was that simple detail —the simple detail that he knew that whatever she did was for a reason—that made him question her even after he told himself he wasn't going to.

Trowa watched her face fall, knitting carefully into a more distant look. She took her time in answering, wetting her lips and tucking hair behind her ears. Her silence was almost as disturbing as her sanguinity, and he wondered if she was drawing out these simple acts longer for a purpose or if she just didn't want to answer. Maybe he shouldn't have asked. Who was he to trash what little happiness she could've just had? After all, two of her best friends had just been murdered…

Though, it kind of looked like she was picking words in her mind; carefully constructing something that wouldn't give anything away but was still an answer.

Minako shifted in the seat and looked at him, almost longingly, after warily placing her hands in her lap. "I'm tired, Trowa." She moved her gaze to the road in front of them. "I'm tired of my life and everything it has given me. You know what life has so generously handed to me, Trowa? Absolutely nothing but pain and hurt, and I'm just tired of it all. I see people being murdered, babies abandoned in dumpsters, drunk drivers hitting vans full of kids who could've grown up to have a wonderful life with a loving family. I wish I could be done with it all; I wish I could start living my life for me and not for anyone else, but I can't. Not yet. I have to stop him…"

Letting her continue to remain silent next to him, blinking back what could've been tears and pretending to pay attention to the street signs and car lights; he didn't further interrogate her. He didn't care that she could be on the verge of tears, but at the same time, he really did. He wanted to lean over and hug her, let her cry on his shoulder so he could kiss away her tears… but he couldn't, he wouldn't allow himself to be happily drowned by her. He'd surely lose whatever … anything … he had before if he ever got close to her. That is, Trowa was scared of what Minako could do to him. Further more, what her love could do to him.

He didn't want to do anything he would regret; he was a soldier, after all, and that sufficiently alert, crazy, heartless part of him was the better and bigger half. He had learned, over the years, to live without what he wanted and he wasn't going to give that up. He wasn't willing to give it up. He knew, basically, that if he loved her, the soldier in him would die. He had lived a soldier since the day he was born and if that part of him died, what would become of him? What would become of Trowa, heart and soul?

Trowa would lose himself and all that he had known… but he would know her, he would know love, and he would know how to live life instead of letting himself rot in the aftermath of killing a nameless, faceless opponent that happened to translate into thousands of enemy soldiers who were, indeed, not nameless or faceless.

How could Minako love someone like him? Hardened by war, a true murderer by default? Wasn't he, basically, the kind of person she was currently bent on thoroughly destroying? The obvious and intelligent decision in this kind of situation would be to stay away from this woman who was making him think of these things, but he couldn't. He couldn't stay away from Minako…

Trowa reached over, taking his right hand off the steering wheel and placing it on the small ball her hands had made in her lap. Almost effortlessly, her hands rearranged themselves so that they wrapped around his cold fingers. He tried to keep his eyes on the road, but he could feel Minako's eyes on him, devouring his will to stay away from her…

"I meant it when I said you were funny, Trowa." Her hands tightened around his fingers only slightly. "You do a lot of thinking, don't you? I can tell. By your face, that is; it's always changing… shifting… growing softer, hardening …" Out of the corner of his eyes, he watched a warm smile grace her face. "What are you thinking of?"

Really, an innocent question, but did she know what she was asking…? He didn't know whether to laugh, change the subject, or just answer frankly. The irony of it all, since he had practically been wondering what she was thinking, was rather humorous. However, he didn't feel like the situation was humorous…

She knew what she was doing to him. She knew that she was softly rubbing away everything he knew. Not only that, but he also figured that Minako knew that he was questioning every bit of her and that he knew that she was doing everything for a reason. It was almost scary, Trowa thought, to have someone actually guessing all of these things about him. No one had ever done this. No one had even come close to doing what she was doing right now.

So he stared in front of him and let her wait for whatever answer he decided upon. If she was really as clever as he was making her out to be in his mind, she knew she was going to have to wait. What would happen if he laughed? What would happen if he cleverly changed the subject? ... What if he was just honest?

The light in front of them turned red and Trowa stepped on the brake slightly, slowing down at an even, leisurely pace. Once they stopped, before the crosswalk of course, he looked over at her. Did he care if she knew that it was her who was on his mind? No, not really. Besides, Trowa could easily bet that she already knew; he'd be honest. "You."

"Oh, really? I've been thinking of you, too," she said casually, her gaze drifting back at the light. Trowa wasn't surprised with Minako's somewhat off hand remark; she made it seem like she was expecting that answer and that the fact that he was thinking of her didn't scare or disturb her. Trowa was guessing her right just as much as she was guessing him. This made for a fair battle. However, he knew that it wouldn't remain even close to fair for a long time.

As if on cue, the light turned green and she let his hand go so he could shift into first gear. Back on the clutch, his hand felt cold and somewhat lonely… just like how his heart felt? No… but at the same time, yes. He had said it to himself once, and he'd say it again: Trowa could remain in her presence until the ends of time… Even if it meant letting go of everything he once knew.

"I always wonder about you," she started. The topic previously started in the car had obviously changed. "I don't know why, I just do. Murphy's law, you know."

"I don't believe in Murphy's law."

Is that the answer she wanted? Was she setting him up for something?

Minako settled back into the seat. "I don't believe in any laws at all. Things just happen, reason or no reason. It's the law of life."

He gave her a somewhat puzzled look before changing lanes. Absent mindedly, he flipped on the heater, knowing she was cold without asking or seeing her shiver in the slightest. Trowa knew that he'd have to let her finish before he'd know her plan.

"Thanks and I saw that look," she teased, "but it's true. You know it's true. The law of life isn't really a law, it's just there. Kind of like 'carpe diem'. It's a law; it's something you should do even if you can't. It's what we all want… to live life, to 'seize the day'. They always tell us to live life to its fullest, to live every day as if it was your last, but what for? We do it anyway. It's like a law, but it's not. It's just the way it is. Life is funny like that, just like love."

Trowa didn't really know how to respond to that, or to her, for that matter… She had an awfully odd outlook on life, and love. He wondered why… Was it because of a past experience? Most likely… all he knew, though, was that he wanted to know. Actually, he wanted to know anything and everything about her and in due time, he would. She was giving him enough clues, even information to where he could start digging for clues to her past.

Wordlessly, he questioned whether or not she was leaving him the clues on purpose. Could she want him to know about her past for some reason? If that was the case, why would she want him to know? It didn't make sense… if she was trying so hard to keep everything such a secret, why would she give it away so easily? Perhaps it was unintentional; she didn't know she was doing it or it was subconscious. Minako wanted someone to know, but knew that it wouldn't be such a great idea if anyone did?

He looked over at her, ready to question her sudden silence, but stopped himself. She was biting her thumb, and looking at him. Trowa felt himself breaking, slowly, under her gaze; his defenses melting, crumbling, and disintegrating, but being built just as quickly with suspicion and curiosity. Was she holding something back, again? Biting back information, something important? He wanted to ask, but sensed he couldn't. 'Now' just wasn't good enough; it'd have to be later.

"Minako…" For some reason, his breath hitched in his throat slightly. Trowa kept his eyes on the road, his fingers gripping the steering wheel with newfound intensity and purpose. Was it wrong for him to want her, to wrap his arms around her body and hold her tight? If it wasn't 'wrong', why was every nerve in his body fighting his mind so fiercely?

Trowa's mind told him it'd be a mistake. It told him he should keep his calm and remain as far away from her as possible. However, his mind also told him that she was a threat, but that she needed help, his help. All his body wanted was Minako, though. Such a simple request, but it would have to be denied.

She continued staring at him and removed her thumb, shifting her arms around her body. "Stop here, please." Minako looked tense in her seat. Melancholy, dreary, resentful. He obeyed.

Her hands hurriedly buttoned her jacket up, ready for the bitter coldness that would greet her outside of the warm, friendly car. Trowa watched her, waited for her to leave so he could breathe again, so he could think again…clearly. Without hesitation, she leaned over the center consol and kissed him on the cheek.

Minako leaned back, and opened the door. He saw her smile as she turned around and repeated the kiss, but instead landing on his lips. She lingered and when she pulled back, she was smiling. Trowa fought back the heat that battled to take over his face, and the incredible urge to pull her close and kiss her until they could kiss no more.

He felt awkward, as she stepped out and turned around to smile at him again. He smiled back, warmly, much to his own surprise. Trowa remembered, though, that she did everything for a reason.

•••

He was a beautiful man. Tall, dark, and handsome; he was in every woman's most secret, sinful fantasies. He was young and reeked of arrogance and pride. He was debonair. However, these weren't the only traits he possessed. That man had wealth. That man had everything Kin wanted, but one person… his goddess of a daughter.

Kin, on the other hand, had everything he wanted but a few things. Such was the reason for the back alley meeting of sorts. If his debonair friend wanted his daughter, then he better supply, and that he did… and very well. As the tall man approached him, the only thing Kin cared about was the bag in his hand. This bag of treasure, ecstasy, delight, pleasure, and many, many more things embodied the sole motive for Kin to kill. It was full of white powder and tiny capsules that made him see feel with every fiber of his body. That was why Kin did it; it was what drove him to force his daughter into a living hell so she would go running to the man in front of him.

Kin really didn't see the whole plan working, however, but said nothing. He didn't give a shit if Minako ended up with the bastard with the drugs. He just wanted the drugs. For free. It was quite an exchange. Minako for drugs. Killing for drugs. Very nice exchange. Kin loved the word 'free'. Free sex. Free excitement. Free drugs. Free women. Of course, those women were now buried in dirty soil surrounded by decayed bodies.

He knew that those women were made for greater things than death. Did that stop Kin? Hell fucking no. They were beautiful and juvenile, and they all screamed his name in ecstasy when they reached the highest peak of human pleasure. The only thing that would stop Kin would be if this so-called 'great man' stopped the flow of goods. He didn't care about his daughter or the emotional state he was thrusting her into with the elegance of a rhino, and he didn't care about the other women, either.

Not a bit.

He wanted that bag.

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_**Author's Note:** Boring. Sorry. So sorry. I understand that most of this chapter was just thinking. Uninterrupted thinking with absolutely no action. However, how often do you get to see Trowa... THINKING? I haven't read it before. This chapter served a purpose, ladies and gents, and it served that purpose well. Hopefully, some of you understand the conflict better, and understand Trowa. Love him, you know you want to._

Thanks for the reviews : I appreciate them (greatly) and I would enjoy more (read: review, damnit). Hope you enjoyed the chapter... Ami scenes next chapter with a lot of womangst (not teenage angst, you see) and some Trowa scenes... and some smut... Yum.

With love,  
**Transcendent**

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**OMGAH! IT'S THE REVIEW REPLIES! In order of who reviewed first...**

**Tsubasa-chan:** ooh... I love you, too! I only wish you got online more often, damnit. Glad you liked the chapter, though : I hope you update sooooonsoonsoonson.

**FairDrea:** I am so demanding because I feel like it... Thank you for the encouragement earlier last month/middle month/end of month? I'm probably going to need your help somewhere during the next chapter so hopefully you'll be on : However, you're GETTING MARRIED! Big thing, lovely, big thing. He's lucky. I hope the wedding everything you wish and then some cherries on the top.

**datajana:** Thank you for the email when I was feeling the 'lack-of-updating-is-BAD' thing. I hope you like the chapter :

**Nyneve:** I don't speak German, yo. Ausgezeichnet? Um. Thanks. I hope you like the chapter : I'll get around to more Rei/Quatre chapters later, I'm sure. I hope you update soon, damnit, because you have me on a thread... even though I hate what you're doing with herrrrr! Grrrr!

**BLACKAURAsama:** Amazing, amazing wonderful girl : Thanks for reading the chapter and giving your opinion. Muchos love for you.

**Inverse-chan:** I portrayed them perfectly? Booyah. I'm glad you liked it but you know what would make me happier? You updating. Now get to it.

**Tsubasa-chan:** Thanks for reviewing twice : I look forward to reading anything you_ write, my dear. I wish you wrote more haha._

**Airlady:** Complex is good. Challenges are good. Thanks for reviewing :

**Wishful Thinking:** No milk? What about this time? I like two percent and I got a car. It's so pretty. And sexy. It purrrs for me. (I didn't ask Sil.)

**fallenmad:** Evil and creative brains are the best brains. Minako's going to be paired with ... what was I saying? Hmm. Bad memory.

**SVZ:** Well, this time, maybe you'll be first again, yes? I noticed you haven't been writing anymore GW/SM fics so I hope you're still interested in my ol', goodfornothin fic. I tried to IM you on yahoo earlier today (yesterday) but you weren't on. Sad, huh? Miss ya, babe.

**Mirror's Image:** You disappeared. Quite a shame. I miss you.

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**Six months waiting between updates is too long.**  
I'm really sorry... please forgive? 


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